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Israel wages media campaign against prospective American- Iranian deal

February 10, 2014 at 2:32 pm

Israel’s major newspapers have waged a media campaign against a potential American Iranian deal saying that the United States would prefer to settle for a ‘bad deal with Iran’ than to wage a good war against it. Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said that “the Americans favour an agreement with Iran because the only alternative would be war.”


Ha’aretz newspaper said “the U.S. administration does not trust Iran even after Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani’s wave of smiles. Yet at the end of the day, just like with Syria, the United States prefers to conclude a fragile agreement with Ayatollah than to wage a good war against him”. The newspaper praised Netanyahu’s hard-line position against signing a peace agreement Iran saying that “US President Barack Obama faces hard opposition from the Republican Congressmen especially since stalling the Health Insurance Act. However, many of them are reluctant to foil the negotiations with Tehran by approving additional sanctions. The decision to freeze the US administration’s work a month ago has shaken the Republicans’ image, therefore they will not offer to intervene in the US administration foreign policy. The Republican Senator Bob Corker stepped back from his earlier threats to propose a law which prevents the President’s loosening sanctions against Iran while hoping the Banking Committee will not propose drafting a law to intensify sanctions against Iran.”

According to Ha’aretz newspaper “the lobby recruited by Netanyahu during his speech before the Jewish Federations of North America have different positions towards the Iranian affair. While a large segment of the Jewish establishment supports Israel’s demands some Jewish organisations have taken a different position. It is true that the Jewish lobby is concerned with Israel’s security but some of its members feel the best way to defend Israel is to reach an agreement with Tehran. Many Jews do not want to appear as if they are pushing the United States into a war it does not want as was the case with Israel’s Prime Minister’s speech yesterday”.

Ha’aretz said many White House and State Department staff are dismayed with Israel’s scorched earth policy and Israel’s leader’s attempts to appear as if they are doing US Secretary of State, John Kerry any favours. Nevertheless, they fear the Republicans reaction and would prefer to reach an understanding with Netanyahu and his government. Israel could influence the U.S. administration’s position during the next round of talks, if it manages to play its cards well.”

According to the newspaper three rules should govern Israel’s behaviour; the first is Israel’s inability to gamble its interests with the U.S. administration. The second is Israel not fully depending on France’s support and the third would be Israel managing to thwart talks with Iran, a prize that would equal Iran’s notorious nuclear deal that Netanyahu opposes.