Israeli Defense Ministry Expresses Regret Over Previous Statement Criticizing Barack Obama

On Monday, August 9, the Israeli Defense Ministry expressed "regret" to the U.S. President regarding his statement three days prior about the Iran nuclear deal with world powers. According to Israeli media, the Defense Ministry's new statement clarified that "we did not intend to directly compare the nuclear agreement with Iran to the Munich Agreement, neither historically nor personally; we regret that the previous statement was misunderstood." The earlier statement could have created the impression that if Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister on the eve of World War II, enabled Hitler's ambitions by signing the Munich Agreement in 1938, leading to the outbreak of World War II a year later with Hitler's invasion of Poland, then Barack Obama might also be repeating Chamberlain's mistake regarding last year's nuclear agreement with Iran. Barack Obama defended the benefits of the JCPOA on August 5 in a press conference, responding to Republican criticisms about why $400 million of Iranian government funds were returned to that country, stating that even the Israeli army and security institutions acknowledge that Iran has adhered to its commitments under the nuclear agreement. However, the Israeli Defense Ministry stated on August 6 that the agreement with Iran is "similar" to the Munich Agreement... and that agreement "did not prevent World War II and the Holocaust." In the "Munich Agreement," Chamberlain and the leaders of France and Italy agreed to allow German-speaking regions of Czechoslovakia (the "Sudetenland") to be annexed to Nazi Germany, but Hitler's invasion of Poland in September 1939 ignited World War II. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized alliance with the U.S. in a statement issued just hours after the Defense Ministry's statement, stating that three important goals should now be the basis of work for all, both supporters and opponents of the agreement with Iran. Netanyahu mentioned monitoring the nuclear agreement with the aim of "forcing Iran to fully implement the JCPOA" and combating "regional ambitions" and "Iran-supported global terror networks." Netanyahu had previously stated that the situation was akin to that of 1938 regarding what he termed the "vital threats" posed by Iran's nuclear program to Israel. The new tensions in Israeli-U.S. relations arose as the Israeli government seeks to finalize a military aid package from the U.S. for a decade, amounting to approximately $40 billion. The new statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry noted: "The differences in positions between Israel and the U.S. regarding Iran do not undermine our deep appreciation for the U.S. and for the President of the United States, who has shown great generosity towards Israel's national security needs, as well as the great importance we place on the steadfast alliance between the two countries." Many politicians and military experts in Israel, who criticize some of Netanyahu's and Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's policies, have expressed "concern" in recent days that the new tensions could damage years of Israeli efforts to secure substantial new military aid from the U.S. Avi Dichter, head of the Israeli Knesset's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, was among those who said on Monday to the Hebrew section of Israel Radio that Lieberman made a serious mistake and that during "this sensitive period," all critics of Barack Obama in Israel should "bite their tongues." The Israeli government, claiming that serious security threats from Iran still exist, managed to convince the U.S. government, along with Congress, to significantly increase the military aid package granted to the Israeli army. In addition to this aid package, the U.S. will soon deliver 19 out of 33 F-35 fighter jets to the Israeli Air Force based on a previous deal. These advanced fighter jets have so far only been in the possession of the U.S. military.