In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says that Israel will continue following its strategy for combating Iranian aggression, regardless of whether an agreement is made between world powers and the Islamic Republic in Vienna.
“The Israeli strategy doesn’t depend on whether there’s an agreement or not,” Bennett said. “We will protect ourselves by ourselves. Even if there is an agreement, we’re not committed to it. We will preserve our freedom to act.”
The Jerusalem Post’s interview with Prime Minister Bennett took place this week as world leaders continue negotiating with Iran, hoping to return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “We and the Americans don’t see everything eye to eye,” Bennett said while taking a firm stand against easing the sanctions that have been put on Iran.
“A deal that will send tens of billions of dollars to this rotten and weak regime will be a mistake because this money will go to terror against IDF soldiers and Americans in the region,” Bennett continued. “When the money enters Iranian coffers, they attack American soldiers… through their proxies.”
Iran is much weaker than the front they try to put on for the rest of the world, especially the west. Tehran’s currency is depleted, several regions of Iran are going without enough water, and large demonstrations are breaking out everywhere against the Iranian government. Bennett went on to say, “Tehran is playing poker with a very weak hand, but they’re bluffing.”
Israel has gone out of its way to relay the message to friends throughout Europe and in America who are negotiating with Iran that Mullahs’ regime shouldn’t get “a tailwind of money,” Bennett stated. “The last thing you do to a terror state like this is to give them tens of billions of dollars. You should do the opposite. You have to weaken them, give them a choice between the continued pursuit of nuclear weapons or the regime itself.”
One of the many parts of Bennett’s strategy is “keeping Iran significantly far from nuclear breakout forever.” The prime minister repeated the comparison he has used several times of Iran and an octopus. Tehran is the head of the octopus. Militias on Israel’s border with Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Hamas in Gaza are the octopus tentacles.
“In the past,” Bennett continued, “Israel fell into the trap and fought the octopus’ tentacles tactically. But the octopus itself is Iran. My doctrine states that in this Cold War between Iran and Israel, I won’t allow it to be one-sided. I want to weaken them and hurt their forces in all dimensions. They have no business in our region, 1,000 kilometers from home. I don’t want to see Iran in Syria or any border or ours.”
How Does the World Respond to Bennett?
I think that the US and other countries trying to negotiate a deal with Iran need to listen to Israel a little more closely. Yes, an agreement that limits Iran’s capabilities is needed. Still, no agreement that floods Tehran with billions of dollars makes sense for America and our allies such as Israel and other countries regularly fighting against Iranian proxies.
Israel has voiced concerns about negotiating with Iran since the Biden administration took office. The louder Bennett and Israel have been about not easing sanctions against Iran, the louder the US has been about returning to the 2015 nuclear deal.
We are safe from any Iranian threat here in America for the most part. Still, where do we draw a line about protecting our allies? How would the Biden administration respond to an Israeli attack against Iran if a nuclear deal is reached?
As far-fetched as that idea may sound to someone not following how Israel has responded to this point, as someone who reads Israeli headlines several times a day, I could see an attack against Iran being Israel’s safest option.
Jeffrey Stevens is a Senior Writer with ThinkCivics News and a freelance journalist with The Jerusalem Post, focusing on the Vatican’s involvement in world politics. In addition, he is a published author and the founder of Gospel Grammar. Jeffrey is currently pursuing a second degree in theology from Aidan University in Jacksonville, Florida.
