(JPOST).Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon insisted Monday that the military option against Iran was still on the table, rejecting comments made by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week and published Sunday.
Ayalon told the Reuters news agency that Medvedev's statement did not guarantee Israel would not attack Iran's nuclear facilities, should the international diplomatic push to stymie its nuclear aspirations prove futile.
"It is certainly not a guarantee. I don't think that, with all due respect, the Russian president is authorized to speak for Israel and certainly we have not taken any option off the table."
During an interview on Israel Army Radio on Monday (Sept. 21), the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, spoke about the threat posed by Iran. He said that "the possibility of Iran becoming a nuclear power is a threat not only to the State of Israel, but for the Middle East and the entire free world," Speaking about the ways of dealing with the issue he said: "We all understand that the best way of coping is through international sanctions... I hope that Iran will understand this. I think that if not, Israel has the right to defend itself, and all options are open. The IDF's working premise is that we have to be prepared for that possibility, and that is exactly what we are doing."
Ayalon told the Reuters news agency that Medvedev's statement did not guarantee Israel would not attack Iran's nuclear facilities, should the international diplomatic push to stymie its nuclear aspirations prove futile.
"It is certainly not a guarantee. I don't think that, with all due respect, the Russian president is authorized to speak for Israel and certainly we have not taken any option off the table."
During an interview on Israel Army Radio on Monday (Sept. 21), the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, spoke about the threat posed by Iran. He said that "the possibility of Iran becoming a nuclear power is a threat not only to the State of Israel, but for the Middle East and the entire free world," Speaking about the ways of dealing with the issue he said: "We all understand that the best way of coping is through international sanctions... I hope that Iran will understand this. I think that if not, Israel has the right to defend itself, and all options are open. The IDF's working premise is that we have to be prepared for that possibility, and that is exactly what we are doing."