PM on Biden and the Iran nuke deal: It’s a mistake to rely solely on agreements

Asked if he relies on Joe Biden when it comes to the Iran nuclear deal, Netanyahu says: “I rely on myself, on ourselves.”

Pressed again, he says: “I don’t entrust the security of Israel to anybody else… Israel must be able and determined to defend itself, by itself.”

“I told Biden — and we are friends; close friends even; he eulogized my father; I spoke to him after the death of his son… I told him, Joe… We spoke a lot about Iran… We spoke for an hour in total… I told him, with or without an agreement, my obligation as the prime minister of Israel, as the prime minister of the Jewish state, is to prevent a recurrence of the terrible things that have been done to our people.

“There is a regime whose flagship goal is to destroy us. I will do everything I can, everything in my power, to prevent it from attaining nuclear weapons.”

He’s asked: Including the use of military force?

“Including whatever is necessary to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.”

He’s asked: Isn’t an agreement better? An improved agreement?

“An agreement with a state like that? How many times do we need to learn from history. Agreements are made. But if you rely solely on agreements, that’s a mistake…. I told President Biden, agreement or no agreement, the two things that will slow Iran’s progress to nuclear weapons, or prevent it from getting nuclear weapons, are a credible military threat and harsh sanctions.”

Israel will always maintain that credible military threat, he says, while the sanctions are to a great extent dependent on Biden. “I’ll never put Israel’s security in anybody else’s hands,” he repeats.