CAIRO (dpa) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will push US President Barack Obama to adopt tougher language against Iran during his visit to Washington next week, an Israeli newspaper reported Wednesday. Netanyahu will press Obama on the issue during his upcoming visit to Washington, Haaretz said, quoting an unnamed senior Israeli official. Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive in Washington Sunday, meet Obama Monday, and address a pro-Israel lobby Monday night. Obama will also address the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Sunday. Israel wants Obama to state unequivocally that Washington is preparing for a military operation in the event Iran crosses certain “red lines” with regard to its nuclear program, said the official. Haaretz claimed “a serious lack of trust” exists between Israel and the US on the Iran issue, as well as a mutual feeling that each is interfering in the other's internal political affairs. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Israeli officials have been “fuming” over remarks by US officials against an Israeli military strike. Such remarks undermined the deterrent effect of Israel's threat to use force against Tehran if it went ahead and built a nuclear weapon. Among others, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, told CNN last week that an Israeli military strike against Iran's nuclear plants at this time would be “premature” and “destabilizing.” Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, would not comment on what he called media speculation. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/fML5F Tags: Iran, Netanyahu, Nuclear Weapons Section: Iran, Latest News
