PRESS RELEASE
Senior Security Officials Say Netanyahu’s U.S. Congress Speech Harms Israel, Helps Iran
March 2, 2015 (EIRNS)—Over 180 former officials from Israel’s security establishment have called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cancel his speech before the U.S. Congress where he will drum support for an attack on Iran.
"Netanyahu’s speech to Congress and the destruction of the close strategic alliance between the U.S. administration and Israel will bring Iran closer to a nuclear bomb," over 180 of Israel’s top former generals said. The group, known as Commanders for Israel’s Security, warned that Netanyahu’s March 3 speech to Congress is a patent threat to the strategic alliance between the U.S. and Israel, and actually helps Iran. At a March 1 press conference, six former generals presented the group’s concerns that Netanyahu’s speech will actually bring Iran closer to building a nuclear bomb.
"When the Israeli prime minister argues that his speech will stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, he is not only misleading Israel—he is actually strengthening Iran," said Gen. (res.) Amnon Reshef, the group’s founder, and a former head of Israel’s armored corps.
Gen. (res.) Amiram Levin, a former Mossad deputy chief, said:
"The American people see the rift between Israel and the administration. The Israeli public sees it. And more important: the mullahs in Iran see it. Iran wants Netanyahu’s speech — since it understands that it will weaken Israel’s bipartisan bond with the U.S. For Iran, a strategically weak Israel is an asset which will help Iran’s efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, since they know that it will prevent a viable military option against them,"
Levin explained.
Gen. (res.) Ran Ronen, a pilot and former Israeli consul in Los Angeles said,
"The U.S. and its President are not enemies of Israel. They are its closest allies. A policy that alienates them is not only wrong—but also poses a strategic threat to Israel’s security. Pushing Israel to the front of the international effort to foil Iran’s nuclear program will not only cause these efforts to fail, it will also prevent an effective international military action if one will be needed."
In their criticism of Netanyahu, they were joined by Ynetnews senior military-security commentator Ron Ben-Yishai who wrote today that Netanyahu should cancel his trip to Washington, saying, "I turn to you as a concerned Israeli citizen who, like you, is losing sleep over Iran’s attempt to go nuclear. But I ask you, for the sake of Israel’s security, do not go through with this speech you are set to deliver on Tuesday [March 3] before a joint session of the U.S. Congress."
