Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's Anniversary Message to The Washington Institute

Transcript of the Prime Minister's Remarks

Congratulations to all of you on the Washington Institute’s 30th anniversary. Over the last 30 years the Institute has provided decision makers with scholarly analysis of the Middle East, analysis that is designed to promote realistic policy when it comes to addressing the many challenges facing our region, and of these none is more important than the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program.

The Iranian regime proudly proclaims its hatred for the United States and Israel. It repeatedly threatens to annihilate Israel. This month Iran’s so–called moderate president presided over a military parade punctuated by cries of “death to Israel,” “death to America.” Iran is hosting yet another international competition of cartoons denying the Holocaust.

But Iran doesn’t just talk the talk, it walks the walk. It builds up terrorist bases across three of Israel’s borders in Lebanon and Gaza and now on the Syrian Golan. It arms terrorists with thousands of rockets and missiles to be fired at our citizens. Israel simply cannot afford to allow Iran to have the capability to follow through on its genocidal designs.

The international community cannot let Iran’s aggression in the region -- in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Syria, in Yemen and elsewhere – to continue under the protection of an Iranian nuclear umbrella. And the international community cannot afford to let the planet’s foremost sponsor of terrorism have nuclear capabilities with which to terrorize the entire world.

Preventing Iran from being able to build nuclear weapons is the foremost challenge of our generation. Unfortunately the Lausanne framework fails to meet this challenge and if it will be realized it would make the world would a much more dangerous place. But it’s not too late. Countries around the world must have the courage and the resolve to hold out for a better deal, one that will actually do the job of blocking Iran’s path to the bomb.

Now there are those who say that the Lausanne framework will make Israel safer. As the prime minister of Israel I can tell you categorically this deal will endanger Israel -- big time. But it’s not just Israel that will be in danger: The Middle East and the entire world will be threatened.

A better deal is necessary. A better deal is possible. A better deal must and can be achieved. But if not, no deal is better than this bad deal.