Relationship despite war

Israel wants to move closer to Arab states

Netanyahu after the signing of the Abraham Accords

(Bild: AFP/SAUL LOEB )

In view of the tense situation in the Middle East, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his intention to promote the normalization of his country's relations with other Arab countries. However, the obstacles could hardly be greater.

Netanyahu is striving to "continue the process that I began a few years ago with the historic signing of the Abraham Accords in order to achieve peace with other Arab countries", Netanyahu said on Monday evening in the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu accused Iran of developing a "stockpile" of nuclear bombs aimed at destroying Israel. The stockpile of nuclear bombs sought by Iran is "equipped with long-range missiles, intercontinental missiles, which Iran is trying to develop", Netanyahu continued.

Netanyahu takes aim at Iran
Tehran could "threaten the whole world from anywhere". Putting a stop to Iran's nuclear program is therefore "at the top of our considerations", Netanyahu added, without giving further details.

Anti-US propaganda in Tehran

(Bild: AFP/ATTA KENARE)

Netanyahu blamed the leadership in Tehran for massively fomenting the escalation of violence in the Middle East. The "fanatical axis of evil" led by Iran was striving to "take control of our region by force".

He added that Israel was the "real obstacle in Iran's path". "According to Iranian logic, if Israel falls, many countries will fall with it. The entire Middle East will fall into its hands."

Iran has always denied wanting to produce nuclear weapons. However, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran is the only non-nuclear weapons state that has more than 60 percent enriched uranium and is building up large uranium reserves. The country is therefore on the way to enriching uranium to the 90 percent required for nuclear weapons. Nuclear power plants only require uranium enriched to 3.67 percent.

Trump terminated nuclear agreement
The USA, France, the UK, Germany, Russia and China concluded a nuclear agreement with Iran in 2015. It was intended to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. In 2018, the USA unilaterally withdrew from the agreement under its then President Donald Trump. As a result, Iran also gradually ceased to adhere to its obligations. Talks on reviving the agreement were unsuccessful.

In addition to the expansion of its nuclear activities, Tehran has greatly reduced inspections of sites by the IAEA. Surveillance cameras have been switched off and nuclear inspectors have had their accreditation withdrawn.

Iran is at the forefront of the so-called "Axis of Resistance", an alliance directed against Israel that includes the pro-Iranian Hezbollah in Lebanon, the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Houthi militia in Yemen. Their declared goal is the destruction of Israel.

Several Arab countries, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan, had established relations with Israel as part of the Abraham Accords brokered by the USA.