Skip to main content

The Gap Between the US And Israel on a Nuclear Iran

President Obama may not be bluffing in promising to deal with an Iranian nuclear "weapon," he just may not be hearing Israeli wishes to limit Iranian nuclear production "capability," writes Ben Caspit.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) tour a technology expo at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem March 21, 2013.   REUTERS/Jason Reed   (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY) - RTR3F9EE
US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tour the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, March 21, 2013. — REUTERS/Jason Reed

“We’re not bluffing,” President Barack Obama declared to Prime Minister Netanyahu during his recent visit to Jerusalem on March 20. “We’re not bluffing,” has become the American refrain during every dialogue with Israelis, no matter what the level. Trust us. It’s true. I went into greater detail about this in an earlier article I published in Al-Monitor, which covered the main points of American-Israeli discussion about this during the president’s visit to Jerusalem.

Those experienced old foxes from Israel’s defense establishment and diplomatic service, who keep close tabs on events, drew my attention to one interesting fact. It certainly is possible that Obama was telling the truth, when he assured Netanyahu that he’s “not bluffing,” even if he actually was bluffing, to himself and to us. It all has to do with the precise definition of how each of the parties defines their respective objectives when dealing with Iran.

Subscribe for unlimited access

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more

$14 monthly or $100 annually ($8.33/month)
OR

Continue reading this article for free

All news, events, memos, reports, and analysis, and access all 10 of our newsletters. Learn more.

By signing up, you agree to Al-Monitor’s Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Already have an account? Log in