zio-Joe, after receiving orders from Israhell, threatens Iran

[yankeedoodle]

Biden and Bennett focus on Iran in first meeting: 'If diplomacy fails, we're ready to turn to other options'
https://www.jta.org/2021/08/27/united-states/biden-and-bennett-focus-on-iran-in-first-meeting-if-diplomacy-fails-were-ready-to-turn-to-other-options

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Joe Biden said that although he prefers diplomatic means to keep Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he is not afraid to "turn to other options" on the issue.

The pledge captured what both men, who are in varying degrees of political precariousness right now, hoped to extract from the meeting: A bigger focus on what they agree on than what they disagree on, and the start of a new era in relations between Israel and U.S. Democrats.

"We're going to put diplomacy first and see where that takes us," Biden told the press alongside Bennett during a break in their meeting on Friday. "But if diplomacy fails," he added, his voice raising in volume, "we're ready to turn to other options."

For Biden, it was a welcome momentary distraction from the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan. The meeting, originally planned for Thursday, was delayed after bombings at the Kabul airport killed 13 U.S. troops.

Back home, Bennett is presiding over a fractious political coalition with a single vote majority, struggling to control a new COVID-19 surge that has dented his popularity and dealing with the fallout of an embarrassing phone call, in which he confused the name of a fallen soldier.

But for a few hours on Friday, the two leaders were able to pivot to Iran and other issues of import to Israel — a significant gesture on Biden's part, given his preoccupations with the Afghanistan situation. Pro-Israel officials briefed on the meeting said that it went well for a first visit; there was chemistry between the two men, and it went longer than planned.

Bennett opposes Biden's efforts to reenter the Iran nuclear deal — the diplomacy Biden referred to — but unlike his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, he is realistic about the prospects of dissuading Biden from trying. So extracting a robust promise from Biden to consider "other options," including possible military ones, will allow Bennett to claim he influenced the president.

"The Iranians are spinning their centrifuges in Natanz and Fordow," Bennett said, referring to two uranium enrichment facilities. "We [have to] stop it, we both agree. So we've developed a comprehensive strategy that we're going to be talking about with two goals. The first goal is to stop Iran on its regional aggression and start rolling it back into the box. And the second is to permanently keep Iran, away from ever being able to break out the nuclear weapon."

Beyond Iran, Biden also emphasized the defense assistance the United States delivers to Israel, and reiterated a pledge to fully restore Israel's Iron Dome capability, after the short range anti-missile defense system was depleted by Hamas rocket fire during the latest Gaza conflict, in May.

"We're also going to express the unwavering commitment we have in the United States to Israel's security, and I fully, fully, fully support Israel's Iron Dome system," Biden said.

Bennett thanked Biden for the support, and returned to the prevalent theme of his visit: reestablishing amicable ties between Israel and both parties in the United States, after years of tensions between Netanyahu and Democrats.

"You are going to write yet another chapter in the beautiful story of the friendship between our two nations, the United States of America, and the Jewish and democratic state of Israel," Bennett told Biden.

Biden made clear that there was still lingering bafflement — if not anger — among Democrats at the hostility Netanyahu evinced toward Biden's old boss, former President Barack Obama, who launched the most generous defense assistance package to Israel in history, $3.8 billion a year.

"You give me credit, much of which should go to Barack Obama," Biden said.

"Please thank him as well," Bennett said.

Only Biden mentioned a peace deal with the Palestinians, and in passing — his aides have said that they recognize that substantive moves toward peace are not in the cards right now, particularly given the unwieldy political coalition Bennett leads at home. They talked more about each country's respective battle to combat the resurgent coronavirus.

Afghanistan, and more specifically the Taliban, have historically not posed issues for Israel. Bennett began the talk by expressing condolences for the dead in Afghanistan, but he also used the moment to get back to his main concern.

"These days illustrate what the world would like if Iran or a radical Islamic regime acquired a nuclear weapon," he said.

[abduLMaria]

I don't want to see Iran on the receiving end of a Massacre.

But that may be the price that is paid.

I would like to see Iran drop 1/2 their missile inventory on Israel.


What are the chances that Russia and China will announce a NATO like organization where they declare that an attack on Iran is an attack on Russia & China ?

[yankeedoodle]

Naftali Bennett says the US and Israel have set up joint team on containing Iran
https://www.jta.org/2021/09/03/israel/naftali-bennett-says-the-us-and-israel-have-set-up-joint-team-on-containing-iran

(JTA) — In a significant move, Israel and the United States have set up a joint team at the national security adviser level to contain Iran, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told U.S. Jewish leaders in a Rosh Hashanah call.

Bennett and his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu have vehemently opposed negotiating a deal with Iran to contain its nuclear program. But in his first meeting with Bennett last week, President Joe Biden looked to appease Israel's fears by signaling an openness to using a military option to contain Iran.

Bennett in the call Friday morning with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said the joint team arose out of those talks he had last week at the White House with Biden and other senior officials.

"The immediate follow-up was to form a joint team based on the joint objectives of rolling Iran back into their box and preventing Iran from ever being able to break out a nuclear weapon," Bennett said. "We set up a joint team with our national security advisor and America's, and we're working very hard, and the cooperation is great."

Bennett reiterated that he opposes the United States' reentry into the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but added that he was not going to allow Biden's plans for reentry define his relationship with the president.

"Instead of fighting all day on the JCPOA — and I want to make clear, I oppose the JCPOA ... but I understand where America stands," he said. "Our strategy does not depend on 'Yes or no JCPOA.' And in any case, the president was very clear about he won't accept Iran going nuclear now or in the future."

Netanyahu aggressively opposed the Iran policies of the Obama administration and its entry into the Iran deal in 2015, when Biden was vice president, creating distrust between the two governments. Netanyahu was also instrumental in persuading former President Donald Trump to quit the Iran deal in 2018. Biden wants back in because he sees it as the best means of keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

A key strategy of the new Israeli government, Bennett said, was reestablishing relations with Democrats after years of tensions under Netanyahu.

"We got such a warm reception," he said of his meeting last week. The governments will disagree in areas, he said, but "the good spirit means we're going to be mensches with each other." Biden sounded a similar note in a Rosh Hashanah call Thursday with rabbis, calling Bennett a "gentleman."

Bennett said he presented a strategy to Biden of confronting Iran by building a regional alliance to keep Iran from going nuclear and to roll back its influence in the area, which Israel and Sunni Arab states see as malign.

He said his was a long-term strategy, and he appeared to discount the prospect of a strike on Iran, as Netanyahu had contemplated in 2010. He likened Israel and the United States' posture with Iran to the Cold War.

"America never had to bomb Moscow," he said. "It's not a one-off, it's a campaign of a thousand cuts. It's got to be systematic, ongoing and multidimensional."

Bennett said he did not expect any military intervention in Iran from the United States, but he did expect its backing in helping Israel build a regional coalition to contain Iran.

Bennett also on the call reiterated his position on advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying that he would not annex territory but would also not freeze building in the West Bank settlements. His tenuous government, made up of parties across the political spectrum, would not sustain drastic moves in either direction, he said.

Bennett's defense minister, Benny Gantz, recently met with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president, a stark change from the absence of interactions in recent years under Netanyahu. Bennett said he would not meet with Abbas as long as he was bringing charges against Israelis in the International Criminal Court and as long as the Palestinian Authority continued to subsidize families of terrorists who killed Israelis.