A veteran member of the Likud party and a long-time confidante of incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu says the premier specifically ran for re-election to deal with the Iran nuclear threat once and for all.
And he is warning that Netanyahu is ready to order a full-scale military attack against Iranian nuclear facilities, and to do so alone.
Tzachi Hanegbi entered the Knesset together with Netanyahu in 1988.
He recently discussed such matters on Israeli TV in Hebrew.
In a sobering – almost chilling – conversation, Hanegbi said Netanyahu recognizes that the time has come for a decision on Iran.
Bibi, he said, is ready “to be the one making the decision …to go forward with the military action against the Iranian facilities.”
“Netanyahu came back to office, I think, mainly because of his recognition [that] the time has come for a decision that is going to be probably one of the most radical decisions ever made – or profound decision ever made – by an Israeli leader,” the veteran Knesset member told me.
Hanegbi laid out the scenario in which Netanyahu could order an attack on Iran: “if and when Iran doesn’t comply with the agreement, and Iran goes forward with enriching uranium – and Iran and the United States and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, do not reach a longer and stronger agreement – if anything, if we will be left alone for the decision.”
The Likud member explained that Israel has three choices:
“Surrender to Iran”
Choose to “live under the military nuclear umbrella of a crazy regime”
Or take military action
“Netanyahu will not surrender,” Hanegbi stressed.
“He will do whatever is necessary. I’m convinced. I spoke to him many times about it. This is what’s going to happen.”
Negotiations between world powers and Iran stalled earlier this fall.
