Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Iran has made it clear it will defy the international community on its nuclear weapons program.
“It’s running out the clock,” Netanyahu said. “Diplomacy has not worked.”
Addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference live by satellite, he discussed his three-part agenda for an upcoming meeting with President Barack Obama, who later this month will visit the U.S. ally for the first time in his presidency.
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The first item for discussion, he said, is the “red line” for denying the Islamic Republic its first nuclear bomb. Netanyahu set the line at the United Nations in the summer of 2012.
“We cannot allow Iran to cross that red line,” he said. “We have to stop its nuclear enrichment. Sanctions must be coupled with a clear military threat.”
He called Syria a “great tragedy,” with more than 70,000 civilians killed, hundreds of thousands maimed and millions displaced. The challenge for Israel and the opposition in Syria is preventing its vast stockpile of anti-aircraft and chemical weapons from ending up in the hands of terrorists such as Hezbollah and al-Qaida.
“They’re like a pack of hyenas feeding off a carcass, and the carcass isn’t even dead yet,” he said.
Lastly, Netanyahu said he plans to address with Obama peace plans for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
“Israel is prepared for meaningful compromise,” he said. “But as Israel’s prime minister, I will never compromise Israel’s security.”
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