Iran: Why is Israel Now Endorsing the Enrichment Deal?

The Latest from Iran (31 October): Parliament’s Challenge to Ahmadinejad

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On Friday Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu praised the Obama Administration engagement with Tehran and Washington's plan for "enrichment outside Iran by a third country":

I also wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the president's ongoing efforts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear military capability.

I think that the proposal the president made in Geneva, to have Iran withdraw its enriched uranium - a portion of it - outside Iran is a positive first step in that direction.

Hmm....Only days ago Israeli officials were declaring their opposition to any thought of enrichment of Iran's uranium, inside or outside the country.

So why the change in attitude? Step up all those who think Israel now believes the talks on enrichment will fail. Once the prospect of agreement is gone, Tel Aviv can pose as a supporter of engagement while heaping blame on Iran for its devious and manipulative approach to all peaceful, freedom-loving nations.

Comments

[Anhtony]

They're trying to pretend to care about engagement as to win international support for the bombing later on.

[Thomas]

Ali,

It could be they recieved the message from the WH about playing hardball via Stewart D. Nozette.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101902532.html?hpid=topnews

Nothing like collapsing a politician's coalition to focus his mind.

[Kevin Scott]

Look at the 18:40 statement from the October 30th timeline:

http://enduringamerica.com/2009/10/30/latest-from-iran-30-october-now-to-the-real-contest/

Now think about what Mousavi constantly warns: By being both extremist, as well as inconsistent (remember Mousavi's comments on the British sailors captured by Iran?), the regime actually ends up playing into the hands of the "foreigners" they condemn so loudly.

Nonwithstanding Mousavi's opposition to the deal for his own reasons, this might be another example of what he's arguing. The regime is showing that it can't be dealt with as a reliable partner, and so as it becomes increasingly clear that the Iranian regime is just going to play games, Israel is going to jump on board, painting themselves as the 'reasonable' ones, and letting Ahmadi & co. shoot themselves by appearing to be unreasonable and unreliable.

[Adam]

There was an interesting article I read a few days ago that pointed to Ahmadinejad's holocaust denial as the turning point in the international community's attitude toward Iran's nuclear program. From that point on the Iranian nuclear program came to represent genocide and a second holocaust in the minds of westerners and particularly Israelis. The costs of this mistake are only beginning and will soon get much worse (from much harsher sanctions or from actual military attack)

[Catherine]

Israel may be supporting the proposal in order to confer the kiss of death upon it, but here's Iran University's Dr Sadeq Zibakalam getting fully behind the IAEA proposal, chiding reformists and critics of the government of all stripes who oppose it, because "I believe that whether Ahmadinejad is president of Iran or anybody else, this agreement would be in the long-term benefit of Iran" ..... "defending new agreements reached with the European countries by both reformists and principlists will be the most beneficial approach to protecting Iran’s national interests". Incidentally he also reveals once and for all that he is so in the tank for Obama. :-)
http://www.iranreview.org/content/view/4959/36/