ISRAELI LEADERS have made it clear in talks with visiting US defence secretary Robert Gates that all options remain on the table when it comes to thwarting Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Mr Gates, in an effort to allay Israeli fears over Iran’s nuclear drive, said the US and Israel saw eye to eye on the issue and promised that Washington’s engagement with Tehran would not be open ended.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated the seriousness to which Israel viewed Iran’s nuclear drive and the need to utilise all available means to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability.
Defence minister Ehud Barak mentioned three times in his joint news conference with Mr Gates that Israel was keeping open the possibility of a military response against Iran.
“We clearly believe that no option should be removed from the table,” Mr Barak said. “This is our policy. We mean it. We recommend to others to take the same position but we cannot dictate it to anyone.”
While agreeing that diplomacy and possibly tougher sanctions should be given a priority, Mr Barak urged the US to limit the period of engagement with Tehran.
The US defence secretary said Washington wanted an Iranian response by late September to the offer of dialogue.
He also talked about a “defensive umbrella” to protect US allies in the region , promising to maintain Israel’s qualitative edge. “We will continue to ensure that Israel has the most advanced weapons for its national defence,” Mr Gates said.
Also in the region yesterday was US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, who said he wanted Arab leaders to take genuine steps towards normalisation of ties with Israel.
After talks between Mr Mitchell and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, Arab League chief Amr Moussa indicated that such a move by Arab states was premature.
“There will be no Arab steps before Israel stops its policy of settlement building,” he said.
With Israel still refusing Washington’s demand for a total freeze to settlement construction, it was revealed yesterday that the number of West Bank Jewish settlers now tops 300,00.
A report by the Israel Defence Forces Civil Administration put the number of settlers at the end of June at 304,569 , an increase of 2.3 percent since January.
Israeli officials have insisted that building continue in existing settlements to accommodate natural population growth.