The former Israeli Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, revealed new details to his biographers about how close Israel came to striking Iran’s military facilities in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and why it did not despite his and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire to do so, according to interview excerpts aired on Israeli television on Friday night.
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The report comes as Israel has been strenuously lobbying against a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that aims to curb Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions’ relief.
When asked if Barak harmed Israel’s security, Hanegbi refuse to answer, but said that as the head of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee he plans to summon officials from the censor’s office and hear their explanation.
Without the chief of staff’s sign-off, Netanyahu and Barak could not order the strike.
Barak said an opportunity in 2012 to attack Iran was shelved as it would have coincided with large joint military exercises with the United States “which was likely to embarrass Washington and give the impression the Americans were directly involved in the attack”. “The IDF chief has to say that there is operational capability”.
Barak is a former military chief of staff who had a long and highly decorated military career. Ministers Benny Begin, Dan Meridor and Eli Yishai were opposed to the operation, as were the heads of Mossad, the Shin Bet and nearly the entire IDF top echelon including Military Intelligence. The two became bitter rivals over the years, and Barak’s relationship with current defense minister Ya’alon has also been tempestuous.
“He created an untenable situation”, Barak said of Ashkenazi. We went there after Bibi told the two of us – Lieberman and me – that Bogey and Steinitz supported [the operation].
He continued, “Then we held a discussion on it in the forum of eight”.
For years, Netanyahu has trumpeted the threat to use the “military option” to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“The IDF chief of staff presents all of the things, all of the difficulties, all of the complications, and all of the problems including the possibility that there will be losses, and you see in front of our eyes how Bugi (Ya’alon) and Steinitz are melting”, the recording attributed to Barak said.
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“The money that would flow into Iran following the nuclear agreement would be used to strengthen terrorist organisations operating against us under Iran’s sponsorship, with the declared objective of destroying Israel”, Xinhua quoted Netanyahu.
