Israel Refuses to Follow the Script Written in Washington

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again made clear that he intends to act independently of Washington. Publicly dismissing the significance of the emerging U.S.-Iran memorandum, Netanyahu stated that no agreement would prevent Israel from pursuing its own security objectives. While U.S. President Donald Trump presents the accord as a diplomatic success, Tel Aviv remains deeply skeptical. Netanyahu’s lifelong mission, he says, is to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capabilities, regardless of the White House’s position. The Israeli prime minister left little room for ambiguity. In an address to the nation, he declared that Tehran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. “I am fighting attempts by Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons. I can call this the mission of my entire life. I have maintained this position until now and will continue to maintain it in the future. With an agreement or without an agreement, Iran will not have nuclear weapons. Not today and not tomorrow. As long as I am prime minister of Israel, that will not happen,” the Israeli leader said.