Bennett: Iran ‘regime of executioners’ can’t get the bomb

JUNE 20, 2021 11:34

The results of Iran’s presidential election show the world must act to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the opening of his government’s first Sunday cabinet meeting.

Bennett commented on Ebrahim Raisi, a judge responsible for tens of thousands of executions who is under US sanctions for human rights abuses, being elected president of Iran on Saturday, as the sixth round of indirect talks between the US and Iran to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal comes to an end in Vienna.

“Raisi’s election as president of Iran is a signal to world powers that they need to wake up,” Bennett said. “This is the last signal before going back to the Iran Deal. They must understand who they’re dealing with.

“A regime of executioners cannot have weapons of mass destruction,” the prime minister stated.

Bennett also commented on the Israeli political situation, pointing out that former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Shamir presided over a government comprised of right-wing and left-wing parties.

“By all accounts Yitzhak Shamir was distinctly right-wing,” Bennett remarked. “There is a time for everything. This is a time for unity, and unity is itself a critical goal…The public knows our ability to work together will allow us to do good things. We will be inspired by Yitzhak Shamir.”

In addition, Bennett said relevant ministers will hold a meeting to assess the impact of the Delta variant of COVID-19 on Israel.

The cabinet is expected to vote to establish a state committee of inquiry into the Meron disaster on Sunday to determine what caused the fatal crush at the holy site some 52 days ago, in which 45 people died, and who is responsible.

Earlier Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Foreign Service Appointments approved 36 diplomats for ambassadorial and consular positions in Thailand, Sweden, the Vatican, Senegal, Panama, EU institutions in Brussels, Japan and more.

The cabinet is expected to approve the professional appointments, which had been delayed by six months in the previous government.