As voters in the United States head to the polls, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a blunt reminder of what awaits the next president in the Middle East.
Faced with re-election himself in January, Netanyahu was asked by Israel’s Channel 2 about Iran’s progress toward a nuclear weapon. “I am of course ready to press the button if necessary,” he replied. “If there’s no other way, Israel is ready to act.”
Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened that Israel might strike Iran on its own, rhetoric likely aimed at the Obama Administration, which has favored continued sanctions. On the same program, Ehud Olmert, a potential rival for prime minister, had this to say about Netanyahu’s heated language aimed at Obama: “And if we need something, who would we ask? The person who we’re doing everything to prevent from becoming the president of the United States?”
