Haaretz
Shvat 5, 5767
An international front has
been created to fight the Iranian threat, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told
delegates to the Herzliya Conference on Wednesday.
Olmert focused
his address at the conference on a report detailing the state of the
Iranian threat. The prime minister emphasized that Israel has been
following Iran's efforts to achieve nuclear capability for
years.
"For many long years, we have followed Iran's efforts to
acquire nuclear weapons, in the guise of a civilian nuclear program. They
are working through secret channels in a number of sites spread out across
Iran," he said. "In the past few years, we have been witness to especially
intense Iranian activity on two tracks - the overt and the
covert."
The prime minister said that the Iranian threat was
evident in the financial, military and intelligence aid Tehran granted
Palestinian terror groups, both directly and through Syria. Olmert said
the threat was also manifested in Iranian support of Iraqi terror groups
and the Hezbollah.
"This activity has created an opposing front,
which includes, in varying intensities, all the permanent members of the
UN Security Council; Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States,
Egypt and Jordan; and other key countries in the West, such as Germany and
Japan," he said.
"This front is acting to unite forces and prevent
this threat from becoming a reality," Olmert added.
The prime
minister lauded the decision of the United Nations Security Council to
impose sanctions on Iran, adding that at both at the "political level and
the professional level" Israel's efforts contributed greatly to the
result."
He said that Israel, as well as the international
community, would prefer to see the standoff worked out on a diplomatic
level. Still, he warned against "turning a blind eye now, while ignoring
reality, dragging one's feet, and attempting to reach dangerous
compromises while avoiding taking clear steps."
Unless clear steps
are taken, he said, "those of us who wish to prevent Iran from becoming a
nuclear power will, down the road, not be left with any choice but to take
much more severe steps in the future."
Olmert said that while the
fight against the Iranian threat was at the top of Israel's agenda,
"Israel is not spearheading the struggle against the Iranian
threat."
"This threat must be dealt with seriously and responsibly,
first and foremost by the major powers and by other key nations," he said,
adding, "We are at the forefront of the fight to place this issue on the
top of the agendas of world leaders and international public opinion. It
is our duty to point out the dangers and help in finding
solutions."