“In this deadly game of thrones,” he said, “there’s no place for America or for Israel, no peace for Christians, Jews or Muslims who don’t share the Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for anyone. So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is your enemy.”
The bottom line, he said, is “the greatest danger facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle but lose the war.”
A Bad Deal, No Deal or War? The Obama administration has accused Netanyahu in recent days of opposing the current negotiations without offering any alternative.
The prime minister said in his speech bluntly that the alternative to the deal being negotiated is “A MUCH BETTER DEAL”… one “that does not leave Iran with “a vast infrastructure” and a “short breakout period”… that won’t give Iran “an easy path to the bomb” … one with which [Israel] “can live, literally.”
It is not true that the only alternative is war, he said, refuting another administration charge that has been repeated like a mantra over the past several weeks.
“We can insist that restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program not be lifted for as long as Iran continues its aggression in the region and in the world.
“Before lifting those restrictions, the world should demand that Iran do three things: First, stop its aggression against its neighbors in the Middle East. Second, stop supporting terrorism around the world. Third, stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state.
“If the world powers are not prepared to insist that Iran change its behavior before a deal is signed, at the very least they should insist that Iran change its behavior before a deal expires.
“If Iran changes its behavior, the restrictions would be lifted. If Iran doesn’t change its behavior, the restrictions should not be lifted.
“If Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country.”
The Alternative to This Bad Deal “What about the argument that there’s no alternative to this deal, that Iran’s nuclear know-how cannot be erased, that its nuclear program is so advanced that the best we can do is delay the inevitable, which is essentially what the proposed deal seeks to do?
“Well, nuclear know-how without nuclear infrastructure doesn’t get you very much. A race car driver without a car can’t drive. A pilot without a plan can’t fly. Without thousands of centrifuges, tons of enriched uranium or heavy water facilities, Iran can’t make nuclear weapons.
“Iran’s nuclear program can be rolled back well-beyond the current proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping up the pressure on a very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse in the price of oil.”
Standing up to Iran is not going to be easy, he acknowledged. Standing up to “dark and murderous regimes never is,” he said.
But, he said, “I can only urge the leaders of the world not to repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Solemn Vow ‘Israel Will Stand’ He also made a solemn vow, to Holocaust survivor and author Elie Wiesel sitting in the gallery, and to the lawmakers on the floor.
“I can guarantee you this, the days when the Jewish people remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies, those days are over.
“We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves. We restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And the soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves.