Name? Benjamin Netanyahu
Westphalian identity? Israeli
Age? 71
Why is he in the news? Our friend Bibi is currently hosting US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin and stated publicly he “will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel.” This statement coincides with yesterday’s attack on Iran’s main nuclear facilities at Natanz.
Why do we care? The IDF chief, Aviv Kohavi, hinted at Israeli involvement in the attacks and Ex Mossaf Chief, Efraim Halevy, believes Israel’s political establishment wants Sunday’s sabotage attack attributed to Israel. It is pretty clear to us that a third party to the JCPOA wants to sabotage the new negotiations between the US and Iran; it’s particularly clear Bibi is the only one with a motive and the capabilities to sabotage.
Why should you care? Because a third party manipulating negotiations could end one of the most intense frenemy relations in the world of IR. IF the US and Iran could reach an agreement, tensions would decrease, benefitting us all. The drama surrounding this should make you care 7/10.
Who else cares? German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas representing EU concerns. The EU was a key player in bringing the US and Iran back to the negotiating table and has been vocal about upholding the JCPOA. Reacting to this incident, the EU through Maas rejected “any attempts to undermine or weaken diplomatic efforts on the nuclear agreement.” Let’s see if Bibi will be impressed given his past unilateral actions towards Iran.
Any further comments? The incident at Natanz happened one day after new centrifuges were inaugurated, on the day US Defence Minister Lloyd Austin visited Israel, and one week after nuclear talks were restarted. Timing is pivotal in IR matters and the timing of all of this hints at Netanyahu taking matters into his own hands after last month’s election did not deliver more certainty to him with regards to Israel’s security.
