Countdown: an attack on Iran?Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak on Iran, U.S., and war

Published 9 November 2011

Israeli analysts note that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have been pushing for a military action against Iran, but that they were thwarted by senior officials in the Israeli national security establishment; with these officials retiring, it appears that Netanyahu and Barak may get their way; On Tuesday, Barak gave a wide-ranging interview to Kol Israel radio station, in which he addressed this and other Iran-related issues

On Tuesday we reported on the growing crescendo of discussion and debate in Israel about a possible military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities (“Rumor of war: Is Israel about to attack Iran?”). Israeli analysts note that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have been pushing for a military action, but that they were thwarted by senior officials in the Israeli national security establishment.

On Tuesday, Barak gave a wide-ranging interview to Kol Israel radio station. Here are the answers he gave to the Iran-related questions. The following is based on two reports in Haaretz (in italics we provide background to place Barak’s answers in context).

Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan, together with Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi (former chief of staff), Gen. Amos Yadlin (former head of military intelligence), and Yuval Diskin (former head of Shin Bet), opposed an attack on Iran. While in office (they all retired between November 2010 and May 2011), the Gang of Four successfully blocked attempts by Netanyahu and Barak to move forward on the military option. Of the four, only Dagan has spoken openly, after leaving office, about what he considers to be the folly of an attack on Iran —  and openly criticized Netanyahu and Barak for irresponsibly pushing Israel to an unnecessary war:

Haaretz quotes Barak to say: “The manner in which this discussion has been conducted, including by former high officials, is sometimes shameful….When, in an unprecedented manner, the head of Mossad calls journalists to [Mossad’s] headquarters and brief them against the prime minister… I think this conduct is very serious. I would have expected him to conduct himself wisely and without manipulations. I hope this is not based on a hidden agenda.”
 
On the notion that he and Netanyahu are pushing for war:
“This hallucinatory description, as if two men, myself and the prime minister, sit in a locked room and lead a move toward an attack — this is an hallucination. The discussion should be conducted in a serious and responsible manner… [the two of us] look at the situation day after day, responsibly; there is no danger here, we are not acting alone — and in any event, there is a need for a government approval for everything..” Haaretz notes that Barak emphasized that no decision [on a military action] has been made yet, “but we are preparing for this thing.” Barak added that “there is no real danger, not to