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Netanyahu accuses world powers of forsaking commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear programme

February 26, 2015 at 2:37 pm

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused the six world powers (the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany) of giving up on their commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Speaking during a Likud gathering at Ma’aleh Adumim settlement, Netanyahu was quoted as saying that: “The world powers committed themselves to preventing Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, but from the emerging accord it appears that they have given up on that commitment and have come to accept the idea of Iran, gradually over the yearsm developing the ability to make the fissile material needed for many nuclear bombs. Perhaps they surrendered, but I’m not ready to surrender.”

Netanyahu responded to criticism by US National Security Adviser Susan Rice the day before, who described Netanyahu’s speech before the Congress next month as “destructive” to relations between Israel and the United States.

“I respect the White House and the President of the United States, but but on a matter so fateful that it could determine whether we exist or not, my obligation is do everything to prevent such a great danger to the State of Israel,” said Netanyahu.

US Secretary of State John Kerry previously criticised Netanyahu during his testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, saying that although he understood Netanyahu’s doubts, “he had the same position prior to the draft agreement signed between P5+1 and Iran in November 2013… Netanyahu objected at the time and he was wrong.”

“He supported very blatantly the invasion of Iraq and we know how that ended up. Israel is more secure today than it was before the draft agreement,” Kerry added.

A top US official commented that “the period needed in order to obtain fissile material is two or three months and we delayed that for a year.”