An Israeli official, speaking Tuesday in Denver on new evidence collected by the U.N. about Iran’s nuclear-weapons ambitions, said Tehran’s pursuit poses a danger that the world must band together to stop.
“We must see that this is a threat to the peace of the free world, one that becomes more real by the hour,” said Shaul Mofaz, a member of Kadima, the largest political party in the Israeli parliament, who also served as a former chief of staff for the Israeli Defense Forces. “This cannot be allowed. . . . But it is not just an Israeli problem.”
Mofaz was a featured guest speaker at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly.
Pressing his point during a 30-minute address, Mofaz said Iran could possibly train nuclear weapons on most major cities in Europe. That is one reason it is incumbent upon the world’s superpowers — including heretofore reticent nations such as Russia and China — to join in the effort, he said.
However, Mofaz was pointed in what he said the role of the U.S. should be.
“The international community, led by the United States, must do everything — and I stress everything — within its power to stop Iran,” he said. “This is the acid test of the Obama foreign policy. The time has come to put an end to Iran’s nuclear aspirations, and Israel cannot be the scapegoat of the free world. It is up to the U.S. administration to get the job done.”
The report from the International Atomic Energy Agency did not specify how long it would take Iran to produce a nuclear weapon. However, it said the country had moved far beyond the theoretical stage.
In gauging the potential dangers if Iran realizes its nuclear aspirations, Mofaz cited instability in the Middle East caused by extremists but added that rather than just being a regional problem, its impact would be felt around the globe.
“The war on local terrorism is a war on global terrorism, the same war that brought down the twin towers on 9/11,” he said. “It is a threat to all freedom-loving nations.”
Real threat
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
Guest at fundraiser on Thursday
There’s another chance to hear the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee at the Knesset and top leader of the Kadima party, Shaul Mofaz, speak.
What: Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado’s largest annual outreach and fundraising event for men
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
Information: 303-316-6466
