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Israel Continues to Sound Alarm on Iranian Overture Israel Continues to Sound Alarm on Iranian Overture
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JERUSALEM — With the United States and other nations extending an increasingly warm welcome to the new president of Iran at the United Nations this week in New York, Israel finds itself in a bind: eager to unmask what it sees as an empty charm offensive, yet at risk of being seen as a spoiler unwilling to consider the possibility of change in Tehran’s nuclear policy.JERUSALEM — With the United States and other nations extending an increasingly warm welcome to the new president of Iran at the United Nations this week in New York, Israel finds itself in a bind: eager to unmask what it sees as an empty charm offensive, yet at risk of being seen as a spoiler unwilling to consider the possibility of change in Tehran’s nuclear policy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel expressed appreciation Tuesday for President Obama’s statement in his United Nations address that “Iran’s conciliatory words will have to be matched by action that is transparent and verifiable.” Mr. Netanyahu said, “Israel would welcome a genuine diplomatic solution that truly dismantles Iran’s capacity to develop nuclear weapons.” But he ordered Israel’s delegation to boycott the speech by the new Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, and accused Iran of offering only “cosmetic concessions.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel expressed appreciation Tuesday for President Obama’s statement in his United Nations address that “Iran’s conciliatory words will have to be matched by action that is transparent and verifiable.” Mr. Netanyahu said, “Israel would welcome a genuine diplomatic solution that truly dismantles Iran’s capacity to develop nuclear weapons.” But he ordered Israel’s delegation to boycott the speech by the new Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, and accused Iran of offering only “cosmetic concessions.”
“We will not be fooled by half-measures that merely provide a smoke screen for Iran’s continual pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Mr. Netanyahu told reporters in Tel Aviv hours before Mr. Rouhani was to ascend the stage to speak before the General Assembly. “And the world should not be fooled either.”“We will not be fooled by half-measures that merely provide a smoke screen for Iran’s continual pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Mr. Netanyahu told reporters in Tel Aviv hours before Mr. Rouhani was to ascend the stage to speak before the General Assembly. “And the world should not be fooled either.”
An internal Israeli government document, published Tuesday by The Washington Post and verified by an Israeli official, discounts Mr. Rouhani’s policy as “smile but enrich,” and offers 10 talking points to support the assertion that Iran’s goal is to negotiate “a deal with minor concessions that preserves Iran’s future ability to rush forward to produce nuclear weapons.” The document, and senior Israeli officials, point to Tehran’s recent installation of advanced centrifuges that can enrich uranium quickly, and its continued denial of access to its nuclear facilities by international inspectors, as evidence that nothing has changed on the ground. Iran denies that it is pursuing nuclear weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian use. An internal Israeli government document, published Tuesday by The Washington Post and verified by an Israeli official, discounts Mr. Rouhani’s policy as “smile but enrich,” and argues that Iran’s goal is for “minor concessions” that preserve its ability to “rush forward” to produce nuclear weapons.” The document, and senior Israeli officials, point to Tehran’s recent installation of advanced centrifuges and its continued denial of access to its nuclear facilities as evidence that nothing has changed on the ground. Iran denies that it is pursuing nuclear weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian use.
Israeli analysts have begun to worry that Mr. Netanyahu’s hard-line approach will leave him isolated by allies who want to test Mr. Rouhani’s seriousness, especially since Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states that share Israel’s view have largely remained silent. With Secretary of State John Kerry scheduled to meet Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday as part of the so-called P5-plus-1 group tackling the nuclear question, they said Mr. Netanyahu faced the tricky challenge of raising concerns without sounding like a prophet of doom.Israeli analysts have begun to worry that Mr. Netanyahu’s hard-line approach will leave him isolated by allies who want to test Mr. Rouhani’s seriousness, especially since Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf states that share Israel’s view have largely remained silent. With Secretary of State John Kerry scheduled to meet Iran’s foreign minister on Thursday as part of the so-called P5-plus-1 group tackling the nuclear question, they said Mr. Netanyahu faced the tricky challenge of raising concerns without sounding like a prophet of doom.
“It’s a very dangerous and very awkward situation for Netanyahu to be perceived as the only naysayer and warmonger,” said Dan Gillerman, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. “He has to try and find the right balance between being cautious and warning the world that it should not fall for any of these ruses, but at the same time to be seen to give it a chance and to welcome it if it happens.”“It’s a very dangerous and very awkward situation for Netanyahu to be perceived as the only naysayer and warmonger,” said Dan Gillerman, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. “He has to try and find the right balance between being cautious and warning the world that it should not fall for any of these ruses, but at the same time to be seen to give it a chance and to welcome it if it happens.”
Dan Meridor, a veteran Israeli minister who was a moderating influence in Mr. Netanyahu’s previous Cabinet, said a better strategy would be for Israel to “speak positively” about Iran’s new leadership, invoking a Hebrew phrase that means “respect him and suspect him.” Efraim Halevy, a former chief of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and a former national security adviser, said the prime minister would do better not to “personalize” the situation, because “demeaning somebody doesn’t do anything useful.” Dan Meridor, a veteran Israeli minister who was a moderating influence in Mr. Netanyahu’s previous cabinet, said a better strategy would be for Israel to “speak positively” about Iran’s new leadership, invoking a Hebrew phrase that means “respect him and suspect him.” Efraim Halevy, a former chief of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and a former national security adviser, said the prime minister would do better not to “personalize” the situation, because “demeaning somebody doesn’t do anything useful.”
In some ways, the current dynamic echoes what some saw as an effective good cop/bad cop dynamic last year, when Mr. Netanyahu and his defense minister repeatedly raised the specter of an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities as the White House urged more time for diplomacy and sanctions to take effect. But after a year in which Jerusalem and Washington had been more aligned on Iran, some now worry that Mr. Rouhani’s diplomatic offensive and the relative embrace it has received could revive the momentum for a unilateral Israeli strike.In some ways, the current dynamic echoes what some saw as an effective good cop/bad cop dynamic last year, when Mr. Netanyahu and his defense minister repeatedly raised the specter of an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities as the White House urged more time for diplomacy and sanctions to take effect. But after a year in which Jerusalem and Washington had been more aligned on Iran, some now worry that Mr. Rouhani’s diplomatic offensive and the relative embrace it has received could revive the momentum for a unilateral Israeli strike.
Instead, several experts suggested, Mr. Netanyahu could take credit for helping to bring Iran to the negotiating table.Instead, several experts suggested, Mr. Netanyahu could take credit for helping to bring Iran to the negotiating table.
“The process was meant to be pressure; isolation, military and economic; until the day comes you will see the Iranian leadership trying to climb down from this track — maybe that’s what we’re seeing,” Mr. Meridor said. “Don’t be too positive, but welcome the open arms of the United States, not just to be nice and to hug, but to see whether they will take the ladder to step down. Don’t say no.” “The process was meant to be pressure; isolation, military and economic; until the day comes you will see the Iranian leadership trying to climb down from this track,” Mr. Meridor said. “Don’t be too positive, but welcome the open arms of the United States, not just to be nice and to hug, but to see whether they will take the ladder to step down. Don’t say no.”
The challenge was made more difficult by the fact that Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday was 5,000 miles away from United Nations headquarters, where Mr. Rouhani was to make his historic speech, following Mr. Obama’s. Mr. Netanyahu, himself a former United Nations ambassador who has made expert use of the General Assembly stage, chose not to attend the opening day of the annual parade of presidents and prime ministers to avoid traveling during the Jewish holidays, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, this week. Instead, he is scheduled to meet with Mr. Obama on Sept. 30 and address the United Nations on Oct. 1, long after his peers would have departed. The challenge was made more difficult by the fact that Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday was 5,000 miles away from United Nations headquarters. Mr. Netanyahu, himself a former United Nations ambassador who has made expert use of the General Assembly stage, chose not to attend the opening day of the annual session to avoid traveling during the Jewish holidays this week, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. Instead, he is scheduled to meet with Mr. Obama on Sept. 30 and address the United Nations on Oct. 1.
Israel’s delegation in New York was instructed to skip Mr. Rouhani’s speech because of what the prime minister’s office described as Iran’s denial of the Holocaust and calls for Israel’s destruction. That prompted criticism from Israel’s centrist finance minister, Yair Lapid, who said it was “reminiscent of the way Arab states behave toward Israel.” Israel’s delegation in New York was instructed to skip Mr. Rouhani’s speech because of what the prime minister’s office described as Iran’s denial of the Holocaust and calls for Israel’s destruction. That prompted criticism from Israel’s centrist finance minister, Yair Lapid, who said it was “reminiscent of the way Arab states behave toward Israel” and cautioned, “Israel shouldn’t be portrayed as a serial objector to negotiations uninterested in peaceful solutions,” according to Ynet, an Israeli news Web site.
“Israel shouldn’t be portrayed as a serial objector to negotiations uninterested in peaceful solutions,” said Mr. Lapid, according to Ynet, an Israeli news Web site. “We must make the Iranians be peace objectors.” Those who support Mr. Netanyahu’s approach said it was important not to get caught up in the theater of Mr. Rouhani’s New York tour, and to focus instead on the situation in Iran. They pointed to recent reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency showing continued uranium enrichment, moves toward plutonium development and research on warheads, as well as a military parade where Mr. Rouhani spoke.
Those who support Mr. Netanyahu’s approach said it was important not to get caught up in the theater of Mr. Rouhani’s New York tour, and to focus instead on the situation in Iran. In addition to recent reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency showing continued uranium enrichment, moves toward plutonium development and research on warheads, they pointed to a recent military parade showcasing Shahab 3 missiles in Tehran, where Mr. Rouhani spoke, to disprove his insistence that Iran’s nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.
“The notion of Rouhani as a breath of fresh air does not fit with the continuing Iranian concealment efforts,” said Dore Gold, another former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations who now heads the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. “You have to tell the truth, and that’s what the prime minister of Israel does: he tells the truth about what’s going on in Iran.”“The notion of Rouhani as a breath of fresh air does not fit with the continuing Iranian concealment efforts,” said Dore Gold, another former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations who now heads the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. “You have to tell the truth, and that’s what the prime minister of Israel does: he tells the truth about what’s going on in Iran.”
But Ari Shavit, a Haaretz columnist who was in the United States this week, said there was a wide gap in perception between the United States and Israel. Mr. Shavit said that while Mr. Netanyahu had “intellectually won the debate” over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, “he totally lost the world.” But Ari Shavit, a Haaretz columnist who was in the United States this week, said there was a wide gap in perception between the United States and Israel. Mr. Shavit, who has written extensively about the issue, said that while Mr. Netanyahu had “intellectually won the debate” over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, “he totally lost the world.”
“People who dismissed his argument for years, if they look at it with an open mind, they might realize that a lot of what he said, his basic analysis of the challenge and the problem was right,” said Mr. Shavit, who has written extensively about the issue. “Being perceived as in a bunker-like mentality does not persuade people,” he said. “He should say the truth, but he should really find a way of giving it a new color so people would listen.”
“Being perceived as in a bunker-like mentality does not persuade people,” he added. “He should say the truth, but he should really find a way of giving it a new color so people would listen.”

Isabel Kershner contributed reporting.

Isabel Kershner contributed reporting.