Netanyahu: An Alliance Between Arab Countries and Israel is Forming Regarding Iran

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has noted that there is a shared perspective among Arab governments in the Middle East and Israel regarding Iran, indicating that an alliance is forming between his country and Arab nations. During his visit to Britain, Netanyahu stated that the opinions and warnings he publicly expresses about Iran are the same sentiments that many leaders, particularly Arab and Islamic governments in the Middle East, express behind closed doors, but they want Israel to voice these opinions. According to Netanyahu, Arab countries now understand that Israel is their ally, and this alliance is taking shape. The Chatham House think tank in London hosted Netanyahu for 75 minutes on November 3 during his four-day official visit to Britain. A video of Netanyahu's remarks is available on the think tank's website. Netanyahu traveled to London at the invitation of his British counterpart, Theresa May, to personally hear her convey Britain's 'honor' in the establishment of the State of Israel on the centenary of the Balfour Declaration. However, during his meetings with May and his presence at Chatham House, Netanyahu turned these encounters into a platform to express his views on Iran. He stated that Arab and Sunni countries that previously had conflicts with Israel, some of which participated in several wars against Israel, now realize that Israel is an ally against the rise of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Middle East. In part of his remarks, using a map at Chatham House, Netanyahu said that Iran seeks to establish a land corridor from Tehran to the port of Tartus in Syria while simultaneously dominating the Bab al-Mandab waterway by supporting the Houthis in Yemen. He added, 'In the battle for the throne, the extremist Shia led by Iran is winning against the extremist Sunnis of al-Qaeda; Iran wants to engulf the entire region; it wants to export Shia ideology everywhere; but the good news is that the Arabs in the region are becoming more moderate towards Israel.' Netanyahu also mentioned that he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that it is not in Moscow's interest for Iranian power to become entrenched in Syria and the region. Netanyahu's statements echoed significant remarks made ten days earlier by Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir at the same British think tank. Netanyahu recalled that during Barack Obama's presidency in the U.S., Israel faced severe disagreements with its most important ally over Iran. According to Netanyahu, Obama viewed Iran as 'part of the solution' in the Middle East, while Israel believed that the Islamic Republic of Iran was the main problem in the region. The Israeli Prime Minister asserted that his country would firmly confront the arrival of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah via Syria and added that Israel's stance on not allowing Iran to acquire nuclear weapons is also guaranteed by other actions; however, he did not elaborate on the nature of these 'guaranteeing actions.' Despite this, during his current visit to London, Netanyahu has for the first time deviated from his demand for the cancellation of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) and stated that he would accept 'correcting its flaws.' He also said on Friday at Chatham House that with tougher economic sanctions and the threat of military options, Iran could be deterred from producing the necessary materials for nuclear weapons and persuaded to agree to changes in the JCPOA. Netanyahu added that this agreement 'does not matter to me; what matters is that Iran does not reach nuclear weapons, and if we are negligent, we will face a threat more dangerous than North Korea.' This is the first time in two and a half years since the JCPOA was reached that Netanyahu has spoken of correcting its 'flaws' in the face of strong European support for the agreement. On Thursday, May, while welcoming her Israeli counterpart, stated that she knows he wants to talk about Iran; London remains supportive of the JCPOA. Criticizing Netanyahu's approach to the JCPOA, Isaac Herzog, the leader of the Israeli opposition, said last Monday at the opening session of the new winter session of the Knesset that Netanyahu has failed in opposing the JCPOA and is now zigzagging, confusing himself and the international community about what he exactly wants. In addition to Israel, the JCPOA is also criticized by the administration of Donald Trump, the President of the United States, who recently emphasized that if the flaws are not addressed in cooperation with Congress and America's allies, his administration will withdraw from it. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, reiterated on Thursday that Iran is not willing to engage in further dialogue regarding the JCPOA and will not allow Europe to draw Tehran into new negotiations under the pretext of Iran's missile development program.