Bennett at AIPAC: Iran deal a disaster of historic proportions

Habayit Hayehudi leader and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that the developing agreement between world powers and Iran is a disaster of historic proportions.

Speaking on Sunday at the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference, Bennett said that the deal legitimizes Iran's uranium enrichment and nuclear programs, and will pave the way for the Islamic Republic to obtain nuclear weapons "within several years."

Bennett said that the Iran talks are "a 2015 March of the Folly" – a reference to historian Barbara Tuchman’s famous 1984 book. Like in the book, said Bennett, the deal with Iran goes against the interests of the free world. Instead of allowing Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, he added, more sanctions could be imposed and existing ones tightened. In such a way, according to Bennett, the Islamic Republic would have no choice but to give up its nuclear program.

Bennett also spoke about the situation in the Middle East, saying that the current "regional storm" could remain for another "10, 50, or 100 years." He said that Israel is a lighthouse in a storm of instability, and an island of stability and freedom. "We will keep doing everything to protect ourselves and endure the continued prosperity," he said.

Haaretz