Israeli minister: Iran Deal still bad, even if not yet breached

Israeli Minister Yuval Steinitz said the controversial nuclear deal is “a bad deal, but it’s an accomplished fact, and during the first year we have spotted no significant breach from the Iranians.”

Minister Yuval Steinitz criticized the controversial nuclear deal between world powers and Iran signed a year ago, while saying that so far, Iran has abided by it.

Steinitz, who is entrusted with the national infrastructure, energy and water portfolios, told Israel Radio on Sunday that the nuclear pact is “a bad deal, but it’s an accomplished fact, and during the first year we have spotted no significant breach from the Iranians.”

Steinitz stressed that it is still too early to conclude if the multi-year deal is a success, and while the Iranians have not breached the agreement in word, they have done so in spirit.

He also underscored the necessity to respect the US government.

Steinitz’s comments came after US President Barack Obama on Thursday defended the accord, claiming that even Israel’s military and security community had acknowledged its success.

This prompted a sharp reaction from Israel’s defense ministry, headed by Avigdor Liberman, comparing the deal to the Munich pact signed between Great Britain and Nazi Germany in 1938, which ultimately led to World War II.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently sought to smooth things over with Washington and issued a statement in which he said that Israel “has no greater ally than the United States.”

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

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