Arriving in America
Photo: GPO
Top advisor: Bibi to stress urgency on Iran
Prime Minister Netanyahu to emphasize 'sense of urgency' in respect to US dialogue with Iran, National Security Advisor Arad says ahead of PM's meeting with Obama; 'When it comes to Iran, all options are on the table,' Arad says
WASHINGTON - A senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told journalists Sunday he hopes the PM's meeting with US President Barack Obama will focus on the Iranian threat.
"This is not only an existential issue for the State of Israel, but also a very worrisome one because Iran is constantly progressing on this front," National Security Advisor Uzi Arad said.
Arad, who prepared the visit to Washington and the summit meeting, said that the question of Iran's nuclear program is planned to be at the focus of Netanyahu's meeting with the American leader.
"The prime minister will emphasize the sense of urgency…in respect to the US dialogue with Iran, but the meeting would be a strategic consultation session between the sides regarding how to act," Arad said. "It is clear to me, as the one who held the advanced talks ahead of the prime minister's visit, that the Americans understand the time issue well and the sense of urgency in the contacts vis-à-vis Iran."
Addressing a question regarding Obama's position on the need to adopt further actions against Iran, Arad said: "When it comes to Iran, all options are indeed on the table."
The Gaza problem
The national security advisor spoke with journalists after returning from a consultation session at the Blair House. Turning his attention to the Palestinian issue, he said it will be discussed in Monday's meeting, "and clearly there could be some differences of opinion between the sides in respect to two states for two peoples."Arad said he expects difficulties on the diplomatic front vis-à-vis the Palestinians, noting that Gaza will continue to pose a major problem.
"For example, the main question for us is what to do with Gaza, which is building a huge terror base, after Israel completely evacuated Gaza," he said.
