Leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, MK Avigdor Liberman, warned against any deal with Iran, calling it a “catastrophe” as developments on the framework emerged, while sharply criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allowing US President Donald Trump to control issues concerning Iran and Lebanon without pushing for Israel’s stance.
He warned that any agreement with Iran “would leave all the ayatollahs in power,” making the remarks in a Saturday evening N12 interview. Later on Sunday, Netanyahu said that he discussed an agreement with Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and negotiate towards a final agreement on Iran’s nuclear program.
“Trump is putting the entire State of Israel through a campaign of humiliation with Netanyahu’s blessing,” Liberman said.
“Netanyahu turned Israel into a banana republic,” he added, explaining that Israel would not strike in Lebanon because “the United States forbade it.”
Liberman said that while there were many beneficial things Trump had done, it was important that Israel knew how to stand its ground on matters related to the Iran deal.
“Of course, it’s possible to say no to the president of the United States,” he said, noting that he would be able to do so if he were prime minister.
Liberman explains danger of Iranian nuclear capabilities
He further elaborated on the danger of the Iranian regime having the ability to produce nuclear weapons.
“We need to understand that when it comes to producing a nuclear bomb, any advanced country today could produce one, for example, Germany or Japan. It’s a political decision. Maybe it would take them a month and a half, at most three months,” he added.
“There is already all the technological infrastructure, all the knowledge, available manpower,” he said.
Liberman explained that “nobody is worried about Japan or Germany because they have responsible, balanced elected leadership. In Iran, it’s the opposite: there is a fanatical leadership whose supreme goal is the destruction of the State of Israel, and it doesn’t matter what kind of agreement is being discussed.”
He also noted that he had defined goals “to bring down the October 7 government and to become prime minister” and called to pass a law for universal conscription on the government’s first day if elected.
Liberman has served in key security and diplomatic positions in previous governments, including as defense, foreign, and finance minister.
In 2018, he resigned as defense minister from Netanyahu’s government in protest over a ceasefire agreement with Hamas following a round of heavy rocket fire from the terrorist group toward Israel.
Israeli officials have also raised concerns that the agreement could limit Israel’s freedom of action in Lebanon and potentially restrict its ability to act against Iranian threats.
Benny Gantz criticizes Lebanon’s inclusion in Iran deal
Leader of the Blue and White party, MK Benny Gantz, also criticized the emerging Iran deal, focusing on the inclusion of Lebanon in the agreement.
Gantz warned that “under no circumstances should Israel accept a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of an agreement with Iran.”
He explained that it is “unacceptable that exactly when the Lebanese public is beginning to understand that Hezbollah is harming them, the State of Israel would allow Hezbollah to be turned into the defender of Lebanon.”
“Accepting a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of an agreement with Iran would be a strategic mistake that we would pay for years to come,” Gantz said.
“This is exactly the kind of case where Israel needs to tell the United States: no,” he added.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
