Iranian official: We ‘Reject the Existence of Any Israeli on This Earth

The interview excerpts were aired by Israel’s Channel 2, which stressed that Barak had sought to prevent them from being broadcast, but that they had been approved by Israel’s military censor. However, in 2010, then IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi said the army was not ready for such an operation and rejected the idea. “In this forum, essentially, we wanted to know what the situation is”. The IDF chief has to say that there is operational capability.

He noted that the two ministers who balked in 2011, Moshe Yaalon and Yuval Steinitz, “are the most militant about attacking Iran” today.

Last Tuesday, Haaretz reported that police were looking into whether former prime minister Ehud Barak failed to report capital he held overseas. He added that he persuaded U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to postpone the exercise by several months but that ultimately, the new timing was inconvenient as well.

“Bibi is weak, he doesn’t…he doesn’t want to take tough steps unless he is forced to do so”, Barak said in the recordings aired on Sunday on Israel’s Channel 2.

Netanyahu’s spokesman could not be reached for comment. Ya’alon also said he had no comment on what he called biased and skewed material.

There will be hell to pay if Israel upsets these expectations by attacking Iran.

Netanyahu once said Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a global problem, not just a Jewish or Israeli issue, and he was right. “So we are a little bit skeptical”.

Their true goal, according to the sources, was to convince everyone, especially the Obama administration, that Israel was serous about attacking Iran and therefore had to be prevented either by further sanctions or by American action against the Iranian nuclear installations. All those statements – either collectively or separately – are supposed at the moment of truth to serve Barak and convince the people both here and overseas of his worthiness, thereby paving the way for his return to the most senior leadership position.

Perhaps, had Barak retained his former image as “Mr. Security” and “Israel’s most decorated soldier”, this attack could have been effective. “Under UK and worldwide law, certain holders of high-ranking office in a State, including Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs are entitled to immunity, which includes inviolability and complete immunity from criminal jurisdiction”.