Minister says some EU leaders inert facing Iran
Avigdor Lieberman says some European leaders prefer advancing economic interests to challenging Iran over its nuclear program
Minister for Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman suggested that some European leaders were failing to exert enough pressure on Iran to halt its nuclear program, charging they were more interested in advancing their economic interests.
Speaking to delegates of the American Jewish Committee in Jerusalem on Wednesday, the hawkish minister said: "Some European leaders think they can sacrifice Israel for their economic interests."
Lieberman, the leader of the rightist Israel Our Home party, said that the West's handling of Iran's nuclear program was reminiscent of Europe's appeasement of Nazi Germany in the run-up to WWII.
"The situation with Iran is similar to the situation in Europe on the eve of WWII," he said.
Israel and the United States fear Iran is using it civil nuclear program as a cover for a secret plan to produce nuclear bombs. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful.
The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Iran last December over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment and gave the Islamic Republic a deadline of February 21 to halt enrichment.
The United States, Germany, Russia, China, France and Britain are pushing for tougher UN sanctions against Iran for missing the deadline, but Tehran remains defiant.
Sanctions against ruling elite
Lieberman cited the West's handling of North Korea's and Libya's nuclear ambitions as good example of the effectiveness of sanctions and diplomacy.He suggested that the West took measures against Iran's ruling elite as a means to bring Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.
"There are 50 to 60 families who rule the country. We need to divert the pressure on them. This is likely to yield results and to prevent the continuation of uranium enrichment," he said.
Vice Premier Shimon Peres said yesterday on a visit to Japan that a peaceful solution must be found to the nuclear dispute with Tehran despite threats by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe out Israel.
Israel has called Iran an "existential threat" and refuses to rule out pre-emptive strikes as a last-ditch means of curbing the nuclear program that Tehran insists is peaceful, but Israeli leaders have been increasingly adopting a softer public tone.
"I wouldn't like to darken the future with belligerent declarations," Peres said at a news conference when asked about the possibility of a pre-emptive strike. "I do hope that the problem can be solved economically, politically and psychologically."
Reuters contributed to this report
