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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Netanyahu at Foreign affairs and Defense Committee: 'Iran moving faster than international community'

(Ynet).During a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting. The Prime minister also addressed the Iranian threat. "There are a number of clocks – Iran's technological clock, which is advancing in the arms race, and the international community's clock against this race," he said.

He added, "The Iranian train is traveling fast compared to progress made by the international community, which is more like a beaten-down car… Nonetheless, there is significant progress in the international community's understanding when it comes to the nature of the nuclear program."

The prime minister also addressed the issue of sanctions, just hours after US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said it could be months before new sanctions are imposed on the Islamic Republic in the UN. "There is political progress in the direction of international sanctions, but in the meantime, this is not effective. Without sanctions – it will not be effective."

Netanyahu also commented on China, which has shown reluctance in allowing for harsher sanctions against Iran. "China has an interest in boosting cooperation with Israel, and there is a broad spectrum of issues that are a joint interest of Israel and China. China is part of our efforts against Iran."

Speaking of the Israeli delegation to China he said, "The goal was to brief the Chinese on the nature of the Iranian program. They did not make any commitments to us, but after the visit they have a better understanding as to the program's nature. I don't thing they will vote in favor of sanctions, but they may not use their veto right.

"There was a report on this in China's largest newspaper, but these are not compelling statements, and I cannot predict how China will act. What is certain is that we have opened a dialogue, which the Chinese are interested in as well. We plan to depend it, this is an important country, the Chinese want to cooperate with us in technology, agriculture, water, solar energy, and they have expressed interested in the Eilat-Ashdod railway."

Regarding Russia, Netanyahu said, "I did not receive any guarantee that Russia would join on the sanctions, but I did see more understanding of the danger the Iranian nuclear program poses Justify Fullon the stability in the region and world peace."