“If not now, when? NOW is the time to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and regime.” Naftali Bennet, former Israeli Premier
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and other former officials have urged Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to strike Iranian oil and nuclear sites.
Meanwhile, Iran on Tuesday vowed a “crushing response” to any Israeli attacks on the country.
Speaking to the Israeli Ynet News on Monday, Lapid argued that Iran’s economy was its “Achille’s heel”, claiming it was on the brink of collapse.
“There’s a complex discussion with the Americans about this, and I understand why they don’t want a spike in oil prices just before the U.S. elections. But that doesn’t change the fact that Israel has its own interests and perspectives,” Lapid was quoted as saying.
Israel is promising a response to Iran's retaliatory attack, with anonymous Israeli officials telling the media it could consist of more targeted assassinations, as well as attacks on Iran's oil fields, nuclear sites and air defense systems.
According to Biden, the U.S. is… pic.twitter.com/RQA23UJgvh
— Rachel Blevins (@RachBlevins) October 4, 2024
His remarks come nearly a week after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel, striking dozens of targets.
He also urged Israel to “pause the war” temporarily to secure the captives’ release, saying “We need to kill (Yahya) Sinwar, but if pausing the war brings our people home, we should do it.”
Also on Tuesday, former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett urged Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.
‘Now is the Time’ – Bennet
Bennet called it “a once-in-a-lifetime window of opportunity,” in a Hebrew video statement posted online, the Times of Israel reported, adding that he had repeated the argument in English statements on foreign media platforms.
“For the first time, we have the ability to act against Iran without fearing a terrible and intolerable reaction,” he reportedly said in the video.
If not now, when?
NOW is the time to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and regime.A rare moment of convergence of four elements:
The PLEDGE, the (urgent) NEED, the ABILITY and the JUSTIFICATION.
*The PLEDGE*:
On July 14, 2022 President Biden officially pledged on behalf of…— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) October 8, 2024
On Tuesday he also posted on X: “If not now, when? NOW is the time to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and regime.”
Bennet claimed that “Iran has accumulated highly enriched uranium in quantity sufficient to produce ten nuclear warheads.”
“Not only is this the eleventh hour to prevent Iran from going nuclear, it is also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to do so, since Iran’s defenses—Hezbollah and Hamas—are temporarily severely weakened,” he stated.
‘Take Advantage’ – Ayelet Shaked
On Monday, former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said that Israel “should take advantage” of the current situation to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said that Israel should take advantage of the current situation and destroy Iran's nuclear facilities.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also stressed that the army could destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, which pose a threat to… pic.twitter.com/jj8ZTy8wlZ
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) October 8, 2024
“The Iranian attack on the State of Israel was the largest ballistic missile attack in the world. About 200 ballistic missiles. It is clear that no sovereign country should and cannot accept such a thing,” Shaked said, according to the Israeli National News website.
“Israel should take advantage of the opportunity when there is international legitimacy and destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities,” she added. She was speaking at the annual international conference on counter-terrorism led by the Institute for Counter-Terrorism Policy (ICT) at Reichman University, the rpeort said.
“It is something that sounds scary, but whatever is delayed now, will be more complicated later,” she further said.
“The right and ideal thing would be to harness the international community and have the US do it. The world powers are the ones who should do it, but they don’t do it, and it would be better if we do it than if we convince ourselves that there will be a more appropriate time, because there won’t be a more appropriate time.”
‘Crushing Response’ – Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed a “crushing response” on Tuesday to any Israeli attacks against his country.
“We advise the Zionist regime (Israel) not to test Iran’s will,” he said at an event in Tehran attended by the ambassadors of Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and Syria, the Anadolu news agency reported.
“Any attack on Iran will be met with a crushing response,” he warned.
Iran Ready to Confront Netanyahu, Regional Threats – IRGC Navy Commander
Iran is on high alert amid anticipation of an imminent response from Israel to a missile strike by Tehran on October 1, which came amid rising regional tensions over Israel’s ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, now in its second year.
The conflict has spread to Lebanon with Israel launching massive airstrikes across the country, which have killed more than 1,250 people and injured over 3,600 others since Sept. 23.
White House Statement
On Monday, the White House said that the US administration was “continuing” to advise the Israeli government on its response to Iran’s attack.
“We are continuing to have discussions with the Israelis about their response, obviously responding to Iran’s attack, almost 200 missiles right that went flying into Israel,” spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “Our commitment continues to be very clear on Israel’s security, and that’s ironclad. Those conversations continue.”
Israel Vows Major Offensive Against Iran, Faces Stark Warning from Tehran
US President Joe Biden suggested last week that Israel should not strike Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities.
“If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” the president said during his first appearance in the White House press briefing room in the nearly four years since he assumed office. He said on Wednesday that he opposed strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Jean-Pierre declined to specify what the president believes a “proportionate” response to the attack would entail.
‘Medium Range of Attack Scenarios’
The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday that Israel “is not expected to attack Iran’s nuclear program but rather to focus on various kinds of military bases and intelligence sites. This follows a New York Times report on the situation.
Sources “did not deny the thrust of the report, which predicted that Israel’s retaliation against Iran … would fall more in the medium range of attack scenarios,” the Post said.
It added that “Sources indicated that attacking Iran’s nuclear program would not necessarily be consistent with the ‘goals of the war’ as set by the security cabinet.”
For example, the Post said, “while the most stated goal of the war is to defeat Hamas, and returning Israel’s northern residents to the Lebanon border in security has also been discussed a lot lately, another formal goal is not to be dragged into a regional war, especially with Iran.”
(PC, Anadolu)
Be the first to comment