[Washington Post] Howard Schneider - After his meeting with President Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's advisers focused on what they regard as a key strategic success - agreement between Netanyahu and Obama on opposing Iran's development of nuclear weapons technology. Israel and the U.S. fear that Iran's nuclear program is masking an effort to develop nuclear weapons - a development Netanyahu feels would pose a threat to Israel's existence. The issue is at the core of Netanyahu's thinking about the region, and his advisers said that Monday's public comments show that Obama agrees with him. Netanyahu argues that Arab states such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia also feel threatened by Iran and, as a result, are open to closer cooperation with Israel. "There is the beginning of a strategic convergence of the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government," said Dore Gold, a Netanyahu adviser and former ambassador to the UN. "Both recognize that there are real dangers that could undermine the security of both countries, in particular Iran."
2009-05-19 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive