Israeli defense chief offers warnings on Iran and Lebanon
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TEL AVIV, Israel -- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak came to Washington on Monday bearing two warnings for U.S. policymakers: Sanctions won't thwart Iran's push for nuclear weapons, and Israel will strike directly at Lebanese government institutions if Hezbollah launches rockets at Israeli towns.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr. Barak -- who has become one of Israel's most frequent official guests in Washington -- outlined his vision for arresting Iran's nuclear drive, coping with the Hezbollah threat and forging a deal with the Palestinians.
A decade ago, Mr. Barak's failed attempt to reach an agreement with then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat led to an outbreak of violence that shattered hopes for Middle East peace. Today, at 68, the Labor Party leader finds himself an outlier in a predominantly right-wing coalition that generally opposes concessions to the Palestinians.
But Mr. Barak is also, oddly, perhaps the closest confidant of his former political rival, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, making what he says on matters of peace and war particularly relevant for the Obama administration. While in Washington, Mr. Barak is due to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and various intelligence officials.
On Iran, Mr. Barak said Israel and the United States share the same "diagnosis" that Iran is "determined to reach nuclear military capability." But he said "there are differences about what could be done about it, how it should be done, and what [is] the time frame within which certain steps could be taken."
Among the timing issues are questions of how long to give sanctions the chance to work, and the cutoff point after which it would no longer be feasible to neutralize Iran's uranium enrichment program with a military strike.
Iranian officials insist that their efforts are geared purely toward peaceful energy development, and that they have no intention of building a weapon.
First Published July 27, 2010 12:20 am
