NOVANEWS
Israel Hayom
U.S. President Barack Obama phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, pledging future consultations on the nuclear deal made between Iran and the six major powers.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke on Sunday by telephone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Iran nuclear deal | Photo credit: AP
While the P5+1 powers and Iran celebrated the signing of the Geneva agreement to curb Iran’s nuclear program for six months while lifting some sanctions, Israel’s reaction to the accord was largely disappointment and a vociferous, uniform rejection of what Jerusalem believes to be an Iranian diplomatic victory.
U.S. President Barack Obama phoned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, pledging future consultations with the U.S. ally on the deal. The White House announced the call while Obama was aboard Air Force One en route to Seattle for a fund-raising event.
Netanyahu, who had warned of the deal’s insufficiency in the weeks leading up to the agreement, told his cabinet the deal was a “historic mistake.”
In a readout of the phone call, the White House said the president and prime minister reiterated their commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“The president underscored that the United States will remain firm in our commitment to Israel, which has good reason to be skeptical about Iran’s intentions,” the White House wrote. “Consistent with our commitment to consult closely with our Israeli friends, the president told the prime minister that he wants the United States and Israel to begin consultations immediately regarding our efforts to negotiate a comprehensive solution.”
Officials said Obama had said the U.S. and other countries would “use the months ahead to pursue a lasting, peaceful and comprehensive solution that would resolve the international community’s concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program.”
Speaking to his cabinet, Netanyahu said the world had become a “more dangerous place” as a result of the deal and reiterated a long-standing threat to use military action against Iran if needed, declaring that Israel “has the right and the duty to defend itself by itself.”
In the weeks leading up to Sunday’s agreement, Netanyahu had warned it was insufficient. He called for increased pressure on Iran, and warned that any relief from economic sanctions would make Iran less willing to compromise during the coming six-month period aimed at reaching a final agreement.
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said on Monday, “In the next half year, we need to make sure Iran does not deceive the world or threaten Israel. And in the next half year, we must also reach the solution of two states for two peoples with the Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, France’s foreign minister said Monday the European Union would likely lift some sanctions on Iran in December, as part of the Geneva agreement.
Laurent Fabius also said Israel was not likely to launch any preventative strikes on Iran, “because no one would understand” such a move “at this stage.”
