Netanyahu: Nobody has "moral right to draw a red line for Israel" on Iran action

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures as he addresses the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sept. 9, 2012. / AP

(CBS/AP) JERUSALEM - Israel's prime minister has expressed his dissatisfaction with Washington's refusal to spell out what would provoke a U.S.-led military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Washington wants to give diplomacy and sanctions more time to try to pressure Iran to abandon its suspect nuclear work. In a message aimed at Israel, the Obama administration said several times this week that deadlines or "red lines" are counterproductive.

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But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says peaceful methods are not working, and Iran is getting closer to acquiring a nuclear bomb. His remarks have generated speculation Israel is readying to strike on its own.

Netanyahu said on Tuesday that "those in the international community who refuse to draw a red line on Iran have no moral right to draw a red line for Israel."

Israeli leaders have been hinting at a possible military strike to stop Iran from acquiring an atomic weapon. The U.S. says sanctions and diplomacy should be given more time.

Israel sees a nuclear Iran as an existential threat, due to its arch foe's frequent calls for Israel's destruction, its missile program and support for violent groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah.

[Jimmy654321]

Anybody with half the brain can understand that Iran will never use the Nuclear bomb on Israel because the neighbor countries ,including Palestine, will be destroyed also.Israel wants this propaganda to kill thousands of children in Iran by sanctions,exactly they way these sanction kill thousands of children in Iraq.Israel want to keep on steeling Palestinian land and burn their children with phosphorus bomb while keeping the world busy by their propaganda against Iran. Israel want to keep American the slave of Jewish community like they did in with Germany.

[Rixter555]

'Anybody with half a brain' doesn't include the IRANIAN leaders. They are 'HELLBENT' on destroying Isreal. Haven't you heard the retoric coming from the brainless leader lately?
The country is being run by Mullahs. They are radical idealogs with an agenda. You have an interesting point but that would have happened already if it was going to.

[Rixter555]

This is my first login to CBS news... Seems to be where are the fruit cake liberals hang out. You know the ones with the soft underbellies?
It is a terrible time to have a coward in the Whitehouse. Nothing starts a war quicker than a show of weakness. Remember when IRAN held our citizens hostage? It took Reagan to get them released and he didn't even have to ask. We need somebody in the white house that will get a little respect and that is CLEARLY not who is there now.

[sweetcakesmaria]

Rixter with idiotic comments like those, do us all a favor and go back to whence you came.

[Rixter555]

sweetcakes, you must not be old enough to remember our cowardly President Carter! We was a greenhorn just like you appear to be.

[RunsWithWolves]

The US needs to cut all aid to this war monger in Israel. He is trying to start WW3 with his rhetoric, and Obama needs to call him on it. Netanyahu obviously badly wants to influence the US election, maybe with an October surprise. That 'sacred' Jewish vote isn't worth kissing Netanyahu's rear end.

[guyfrompa46]

So I'm not supporting going to war. However Iran Will never back down because of either sanctions or because diplomacy. They are palying cat and mouse and we all know in the end there will be a military strike whether by us or Israel. Just a matter of time. Obama bettier come up with sometning and do it quick or we're going to war.

[lesserof2evil]

There will be a day the US has to say to Israel "You're on your own, buddy" along with the middle finger.

[guyfrompa46]

yes but that will never happen.

[bobw741]

Netanyahu: Nobody has "moral right to draw a red line for Israel" on Iran action.

Then don't come crying to the United States for help when you start a war that didn't need to be fought and expecting American lives to be lost because of your far right neo-con extreme position.

[sweetcakesmaria]

The nerve of this M F. He obviously think that we're stupid. He's doing everything he publicly can to push us into a military attack on Iran. What we're peacefully trying to do to avoid bloodshed is not good enough for them. The administration should publicly tell Israel that if they want war with Iran that frikking bad, go right ahead and attack them but leave us out of it.

[pcfpgarty]

Many comments have proceeded this one and all have something important to understand . That understanding is , simple . we really don't know , so therefore true understanding doesn't grow from a collection of misunderstandings no matter how many there are. Some one said once ," the whole world can't be wrong ". I would like to counter that with yes ,"the whole world can be wrong" . Kofi Annan said in a recent interview ," There must be something in the DNA of man that makes him mistrust and want to kill another". Where is "RIGHT" and who holds it?

[mjlewis6]

Peace is what political opponents reach for when resources, assets, troops, homes, people and industries are destroyed in war. Not longer the aspect of victory or religious morality or His will, but survival.

I submit the US promise Israel support for maintaining their culture in a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital as a second red line, a survival based upon the same laws Israel employs for controlling the Palestinians at present. An Attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is premature since both Russia and China and the US would seem to be better candidates for a military response to any nuclear weapons ambitions of Iran. Saudi Arabia is more threatened by Iran's nuclear weapons capability than Israel, albeit from the rhetoric Iran promises to wipe Israel from the map. It is SAUDI ARABIA upon whom the greatest threat falls from Iran. There is the tap for Russia and China to respond to the threat to SAUDI ARABIA. Afterall, there are too many migrant workers in Saudi Arabia for a good army to invade Iran, so it has to be a proxy war for the Saudis to prosecute Iran for its nuclear weapons and political ambitions.

Netanyahu aside, what does the King want to do but let Iran strike the first blow? What is the King's strategy? Netanyahu won't survive his own attack on Iran, so that part is irrelevant. It would be better to insure the survival of a Palestinian State so that a restructured Israel, like a post-Hitler Germany, could emerge as a survivor. Where is that plan, Netanyahu?

[albertj829]

Netanyahu is a dangerous man. He is itching to go to war with Iran and have the US right in the middle of it. This is what will happen if Romney is elected.

[woozybarnes]

"a U.S.-led military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities."

Bebe isn't itching to go to war with Iran. He's itching to have the U.S. go to war with Iran. Hey, it worked in Iraq for Israel, so why not Iran? Why should they sacrifice their own soldiers and treasure when they can get us to do it for them? For those of you who have kids near military age and are voting for Romney, get ready to sacrifice them for your Israeli masters.

[gmcgmc]

How does this little country with no intrinsic economic interests to the U.S. continue to be in the News? The media treats Israel as if it "owns us". With all due respect, Israel is nothing more than a country of 7 million people who are provided aid by the U.S. Without the aid and military backing. Again I ask, how is this little country continuing to engulf so much media attention?