‘Iran must choose between nuclear bomb and survival’ – former DM Ya’alon

Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has called on the government to keep disagreements with America behind closed doors. 

By World Israel News staff. 

Israel needs to curb its criticisms of America’s policy toward Iran in public, former defense minister Moshe “Boogie” Ya’alon said, arguing that disagreements should take place behind closed doors.

“We are at an important junction, and we must find a common denominator with the Americans,” Ya’alon told 103 FM Radio Monday, adding that he couldn’t understand “the exposure of things we don’t agree with the Americans on.”

Discussions with Israel’s allies “must be held in such a way that Iran will never become nuclear. We must once again force the Iranian regime into a dilemma: A bomb or survival,” Ya’alon said.

When it was put to him that Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett might not have the diplomatic sway to direct policy in a way that benefited Israel, Ya’alon responded: “That’s nonsense. We heard about ‘another league’ and that there’s no replacement for Netanyahu. The State of Israel’s power is not reliant on one man.”

This is the second time in days Ya’alon has made such comments in public. On Friday, he told KAN News that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid need to walk back their criticisms of the United States when it comes to the Iran nuclear talks.

He appeared to be referencing Bennett’s remarks last Thursday, calling on the Biden administration to suspend nuclear talks and earlier statements about Israel reserving the right to take matters into its own hands to defend itself, no matter the outcome of the talks.

“I think we should not confront the Americans. There is room to say things, and we should say them behind closed doors,” Ya’alon said during a conversation with the host of political TV program This Week.

The conversation with 103 FM also touched on the rise of terror attacks in Judea and Samaria.

“It looks like a wave of attacks, and it’s accompanied by Hamas,” Ya’alon said. “We see the similarities between what’s happened in the past two months and the ‘lone wolf intifada.’ There are things in the atmosphere, and on the web. The 16-year-old who carried out this morning’s ramming attack was ‘revved up’ by online incitement, and made his decision.”