Israel spreads lies on Iran: Israeli daily
An editorial in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz says Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister for Military Affairs Ehud Barak are creating "falsehoods and deceptions on the Iranian issue.
The article, published on Sunday, said while former Israeli premiers such as Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert did not allow war rhetoric against Iran “to reach apocalyptic proportions,” Netanyahu has baselessly turned the Iranian issue into the be-all and end-all.
According to the editorial, while there is a consensus among experts that Iran's nuclear energy program “is being conducted methodically” and does not pursue a military capability, Netanyahu and Barak are creating "falsehoods and deceptions" on the issue.
“Many people, among them [Israel’s] Chief of Staff [Lieutenant General] Benny Gantz” believe that Iran will not produce a nuclear weapon, the article adds.
Gantz said on April 25 that he does not believe Iran will pursue nuclear weapons after years of efforts made by Tel Aviv and its allies to convince the world otherwise. He described Iran's leadership as “very rational,” who would not make such a decision.
Tel Aviv has recently been subjected to harsh criticisms by the regime’s military-intelligence officials over its stance towards Iran.
On April 27, former Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) director Yuval Diskin said Netanyahu and Minister for Military Affairs Ehud Barak were not fit to stand at helm of the Israeli regime.
“I will tell you things that might be harsh. I cannot trust Netanyahu and Barak at the wheel in confronting Iran. They are infected with messianic feelings over Iran,” Diskin said.
Pointing to the recent wave of criticisms targeting the Israeli policies on Iran, senior Iranian author and Middle East expert Dr. Ismail Salami said, “A rift the size of a potential coup is taking shape between the Israeli government and the military-intelligence men over Iran, a fact which threatens the ruling Israeli political apparat on the one hand and exonerates Iran of all years-long groundless allegations on the other.”
The US, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Washington and Tel Aviv have time and again threatened Tehran with a military strike against its civilian nuclear facilities.
Iran argues that as a signatory to the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.