UNITED NATIONS — In an impassioned speech interspersed with bouts of dramatic silence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday condemned the Iran nuclear deal as empowering Tehran to spread unrest in the Mideast while leaving the country capable of making an atomic bomb.
Netanyahu described Israeli-U.S. bickering over the deal as “a disagreement within the family,” and the United States also downplayed any lasting effects of the fallout over an agreement that Washington praises and Israel condemns.
The Israeli leader’s speech to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly was notable for his rhetorical flourishes, including 47 seconds of silence about 15 minutes into his address.
Netanyahu insisted the nuclear agreement lets Iran support terrorism in the Mideast and bolsters its plan to liquidate the Jewish state. He said the U.N. and most governments have responded to Iran’s intent to destroy Israel with “deafening silence.” Then he stopped speaking to emphasize his point, glowering at hushed delegates before finally resuming his speech.
Netanyahu kept attacking the accord, which has gone into effect despite intense lobbying by Israel’s allies in Washington.
“This deal doesn’t make peace more likely,” he said. “By fueling Iran’s aggressions with billions of dollars in sanctions relief, it makes war more likely.”
After Netanyahu again denounced the Iran deal in his speech, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama “is proud of the strong relationship between our two countries and the unshakeable bond when it comes to our commitment to Israel’s security.”
Iran denies any interest in nuclear weapons. It describes its atomic activities as peaceful, focused only on generating energy and advancing science and medicine. The Obama administration insists the deal is effective in crimping the activities Tehran could use in making an atomic bomb.
The constraints are in effect for 10 to 15 years, and Netanyahu argued that once they are lifted, Iran would be only “weeks away from having the fissile material for an entire arsenal of nuclear bombs.”
As he has for years, Netanyahu insisted that Israel would stop Iran from getting the bomb.
“Israel will not allow Iran to break in, to sneak in or to walk in to the nuclear weapons club,” he declared.
