Netanyahu at AIPAC: A nuclear Iran must be stopped
PM addresses AIPAC's DC conference, thanks Obama, US for steadfast support of Israel, warns against perils of nuclear Iran and vows: When it comes to Israel's survival we must always remain masters of our fate
WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the AIPAC conference in Washington Tuesday (GMT), following a meeting with US President Barack Obama.
"Jerusalem is the eternal united capital of Israel," he began his speech to roaring applause. "Israel must always reserve the right to defense itself."
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"I want to ask the supporters of Israel here to stand up and applaud the Congress for standing up and supporting Israel. Democrats and Republicans alike, I salute your commitment to the State of Israel," he said.
Netanyahu was quick to focus on the nuclear threat posed by Iran: "Every day, I open a newspaper and read about deadlines and red lines, about what Israel might do and will do – but I won't talk about that. I will never talk about that. As the prime minister of Israel, I will not gamble with its security."
'If it walks like a duck…'
"Israel has patiently waited for the international community to resolve this issue. We've waited for
diplomacy to work, we've waited for sanctions to work. None of us can afford to wait much longer," he said.
"Iran says that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but I say – if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck – it's a duck. But this is a nuclear duck! And It is impossible to believe that the world's most dangerous regime won't use the world most dangerous weapon.
"A nuclear-armed Iran," he warned, "Will embolden its proxies, like Hezbollah, to attack Israel and US targets. And they will. They'll be doing so backed by a nuclear regime. A nuclear-armed Iran could choke the world's oil supplies. It could blackmail the world on oil."
A nuclear-armed Iran is likely to spark an arms race in the Middle East, he continued, "And the worst nightmare – a nuclear-armed Iran could threaten all of us with nuclear terrorism."
"The Jewish state will not allow those who seek our annihilation to develop such weapons. A nuclear Iran must be stopped," Netanyahu stated. "When it comes to Israel's survival we must always remain masters of our fate."
Speaking with reports after the meeting, Netanyahu said that "the Israeli position was met with understanding."
"Iran's leaders should know that I do not have a policy of containment; I have a policy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. And as I’ve made clear time and again during the course of my presidency, I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary to defend the United States and its interests," Obama declared.
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