More Israeli Official Quotes on Iran

In a nice addendum to the compilation of Israeli and Western past and current official views about the so-called Iranian “threat” provided by Just Foreign Policy, the Christian Science Monitor’s Dan Murphy has categorized Israeli views on the political spectrum. Here are some Israeli “doves” on Iran:

1. Meir Dagan. The former head of the Mossad, who served from 2002-2011, called a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran “the stupidest thing I have ever heard” in March. He said that full success in destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities is unlikely, and that the likely outcome would be for the country to redouble it’s clandestine nuclear efforts in response to attack and remove all supervision from the International Atomic Energy Agency. He also worries about a broader war. “It will be followed by a war with Iran. It is the kind of thing where we know how it starts, but not how it will end.”

2. Yuval Diskin. Mr. Diskin ran the Shin Bet from 2005-2011. In April, he declared both Netanyahu and Barak unfit to lead Israel, accused them of “misleading the public on the Iran issue,” and said that contrary to their position that military action would deter Iran “many experts say that an Israeli attack would accelerate the Iranian nuclear race.”

3. Gabi Ashkhenazi. Gen. Ashkenazi, who was chief of staff of the IDF from 2007-2011, said in April that an attack on Iran would be a bad idea now, while expressing grave concern about Iran’s nuclear program. “I think we still have time. It is not tomorrow morning” when Israel needs to act, he said. “It is better to persuade our friends in the world and the region that it is a global threat and [the government] has done a good job on this.”

Jasmin Ramsey

Jasmin Ramsey is a journalist based in Washington, DC.

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