[AFP] Israeli prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu believes that weakening Iran is key to ending the Middle East conflict as it would in turn weaken Hamas, a senior aide said on Tuesday. "Iran's growing power and intransigence give great advantage to the radical elements among Palestinians and in Lebanon," he said. "Any progress in the Middle East peace talks will require Hamas' weakening which can be achieved only if Iran is seen as weakened." Israel accuses Iran of supplying weapons to both the Islamist rulers of Gaza and Lebanon's Hizbullah. "It will be very difficult to stabilize the situation in Lebanon or to hold negotiations with the Palestinians as long as Iran's power is on the rise," the aide quoted Netanyahu as saying.
2009-03-11 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive