Israeli PM Netanyahu: Iran deal will bring war, ‘nightmare’ atomic arms race.

Israeli PM Netanyahu: Iran deal will bring war, ‘nightmare’ atomic arms race. (TOI).

The world powers’ nuclear deal with Iran will lead to war and a “nightmare” regional nuclear arms race, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in an online address to American and Canadian Jews on Tuesday evening.

Netanyahu, who has been seeking to sway US lawmakers to thwart the agreement, accused the deal’s supporters in the Obama administration of spreading “disinformation about the deal and about Israel’s position” in its bid to rally support.

He pointed out a series of “fatal flaws” in the deal, and asserted that it “doesn’t block Iran’s path to bomb,” but rather “paves” its path to the bomb.

The agreement, a legacy foreign policy project of US President Barack Obama, gives Iran “two paths to the bomb,” enabling Tehran to obtain a weapon either by keeping the deal and waiting for it to elapse, or by violating it, Netanyahu warned.

The Conference of Presidents and Jewish Federations in the US and Canada had encouraged viewers of Netanyahu’s address to join the call through computers and cellphones as well as through group viewings at Jewish institutions.

During his brief address Tuesday, the prime minister responded to several questions that had been sent in in advance.

One of the questions related to Israel’s alternative to the nuclear deal – the administration has insisted that there is no viable alternative to the deal, and that opponents had no solution to offer other than war.

“Increase the sanctions, increase the pressure,” Netanyahu said, in presenting his alternative to the deal, asserting that Iran would not back away from the negotiating table, even if subjected to harsher sanctions, and would abide more stringent curbs on its nuclear program.

He argued that the opposition to the deal across the Israeli political spectrum was indicative of the “dangerous” nature of the agreement.

“A huge majority of Israelis” oppose it, he said, claiming that since it is not a partisan issue in Israel, it shouldn’t be a partisan issue in the US either. “Rise above partisan politics,” he urged. “Judge [the deal] on substance, and on substance alone.”

“Oppose this dangerous deal,” he implored.

Netanyahu accused supporters of the deal of trying to “stifle debate” and said they have been misrepresenting the agreement in order to win support.

“This deal will bring war,” he warned. “Iran can keep the deal or Iran can cheat on the deal,” Either way, it will have the bomb, Netanyahu said, before adding, “hundreds of bombs.”

Furthermore, he said, addressing the audience, Iran has been building intercontinental ballistic missiles in order “to hit you,” not Israel.

He also predicted a nuclear arms race in the Middle East — “the most volatile part of the planet” — in the wake of the deal.

“That’s a real nightmare,” Netanyahu added.

“Here’s the bottom line,” he said. “Oppose this bad deal.” Read the full story here.