A visibly angry Benjamin Netanyahu took to television to present Israel's response to the P5+1 deal to the entire world. In a televised address which began around 5:15 Israel time and lasted less than four minutes, the prime minister made it clear that he felt the deal made the world more dangerous and warned that Israel is not obligated to follow the deal.
He said the deal "bet our collective future on a deal with the foremost sponsor of international terrorism. They've gambled that in ten years' time Iran's terrorist regime will change while removing any incentive for it to do."
Netanyahu pointed to the demonstration in Tehran four days ago as an example of Iran's true intentions.
"While the negotiators were closing the deal in Vienna, Iran's supposedly modern president chose to go to a rally in Tehran, and at this rally a frenzied mob burned American and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America, Death to Israel.”
And he ended with an ominous:
What a stunning historic mistake. Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran, and Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran because Iran continues to seek our destruction. We will always defend ourselves. Thank you.
The world is a much more dangerous place today than it was yesterday. The leading international powers have bet our collective future on a deal with the foremost sponsor of international terrorism. They've gambled that in ten years' time Iran's terrorist regime will change while removing any incentive for it to do so. In fact, the deal gives Iran every incentive not to change. In the coming decade, the deal will reward Iran, the terrorist regime in Tehran, with hundreds of billions of dollars. This cash bonanza will fuel Iran's terrorism worldwide, its aggression in the region, and its efforts to destroy Israel, which are ongoing. Amazingly, this bad deal does not require Iran to cease its aggressive behavior in any way. And just last Friday that aggression was on display for all to see. While the negotiators were closing the deal in Vienna, Iran's supposedly modern president chose to go to a rally in Tehran, and at this rally a frenzied mob burned American and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America, Death to Israel.”
Now this didn’t happen four years ago, it happened four days ago. Iran’s supreme leader the Ayatollah Khamenei said on March 21st that the deal does not limit Iran’s aggression in any way. He said, “Negotiations with the United States on the nuclear issues and nothing else.” And three days ago he made that clear again. “The United States,” he said, “embodies global arrogance and the battle against it will continue unabated even after the nuclear agreement is concluded.”
Here is what Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Iran's terrorist proxy Hezbollah said about sanctions relief, which is a key component of the deal. He said, “a rich and strong Iran will be able to stand by its allies and friends in the region more than at any time in the past.” Translation, Iran's support for terrorism and subversion will actually increase after the deal.
In addition to filling Iran's terror war chest, this deal repeats the mistakes made with North Korea. There too, we were sure assured that inspections and verifications would prevent a rogue regime from developing nuclear weapons, and we all know how that ended. The bottom line of this very bad deal is exactly what Iran's President Rouhani said today. The international community is removing the sanctions, and Iran is keeping its nuclear program. By not dismantling Iran's nuclear program in a decade this deal will give an unreformed, unrepentant, and far richer terrorist regime the capacity to produce many nuclear bombs. In fact, an entire nuclear arsenal with the means to deliver it. What a stunning historic mistake. Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran, and Israel is not bound by this deal with Iran because Iran continues to seek our destruction. We will always defend ourselves. Thank you.