Jerusalem fears a situation in which the new administration will rush to lift the sanctions - and lose the only lever of pressure on Tehran to improve the agreement • On the Palestinian issue, fewer disagreements are expected:
US President Joe Biden // Photo: AP
The nuclear reactor at Bushhar, Iran // Photo: AP
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu / Photo: Amit Shabi
In recent weeks, Israel has been preparing for the significant policy changes that the new administration is expected to bring with it, with the Iranian nuclear issue at the top of the list of priorities.
In Jerusalem, they are very concerned about the repeated statements of President Biden and senior government officials that they intend to return to the nuclear deal with Iran, from which President Trump withdrew.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has said publicly several times that returning to the agreement would be a mistake.
Israel Today learned that in internal talks, Netanyahu sharpened his position and said that the new administration should avoid lifting the paralyzing sanctions imposed on Iran, as long as it does not agree to substantially amend the agreement.
Netanyahu's position follows various voices among Biden's advisers regarding the approach to Iran.
The new president has made it clear that he is interested in "a stronger and longer-term agreement" that will address issues that the original agreement did not cover.
This is mainly Iran's missile program, the project to build the warhead and its regional aggression.
Biden agrees that the United States must address these issues, but the question is what the first step will be
. "Others say that in order to stop the recent Iranian provocations - including raising the uranium enrichment level to 20 percent - the original agreement must be returned to." B, on a "stronger and longer" nuclear agreement
.
In Israel, the second approach is outright rejected.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and senior members of the political establishment are convinced that a US return to the nuclear deal without amending it will give the Iranians a huge reward, without receiving anything in return.
According to the Israeli analysis, the removal of the sanctions will flow to the shattered Iranian economy, huge sums of money that it lacks as a result of the American sanctions.
"Past experience shows that Iran is not using these funds to do good to its people, or to fight the corona, but is using them to spread terrorism and regional aggression," a high-ranking Israeli official told Israel Today.
Another argument put forward in Jerusalem against the immediate lifting of sanctions on Iran is the loss of leverage the United States currently has. According to one Jerusalem source, in the absence of paralyzing sanctions, Iran will have no reason to amend the nuclear deal once it is lifted. Introduce the new administration to an unequivocal position opposing the lifting of sanctions without amending the agreement. "We will consult with our allies in the Middle East, including Israel and the Gulf states, before we begin discussions on a return to the nuclear deal," Blinken said at a Senate hearing.
As for the other issues, the Israeli political system believes that the gaps with the new government will be less significant.
On the Palestinian issue, Blinken clarified yesterday that he does not see a chance for a permanent agreement, similar to the Israeli assessment of the situation.
Blinkan sided with the promotion of the Avraham agreements, which are very important to Jerusalem, so that cooperation is also expected on this issue.
It is further estimated in Israel that in view of the enormous internal challenges facing the new administration, and because the most urgent issue in foreign policy is the Chinese intensification, the disputes with Israel will not be in the high intensity of the Obama days.
Congratulations to Baiden
At the end of four years of a honeymoon with the Trump administration, the Israeli political system welcomed the new president, Joe Biden, and his deputy, Kamla Harris.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he and Biden had a long-standing personal friendship.
"I look forward to working with you to further strengthen the alliance between the United States and Israel, to continue to expand peace between Israel and the Arab world and to address the common challenges, led by the Iranian threat."
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that "this is a unique moment for the United States and the world.
"The United States and Israel in particular share many goals and challenges now - dealing with Iran's regional aggression and its nuclear ambitions, fighting terrorist organizations and forces that undermine regional stability, expanding normalization processes and finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Members of the Knesset and other ministers also congratulated Biden and Harris on taking office.
