Israeli Leaders Condemn U.S.-Iran Peace Efforts, Blame Netanyahu’s Aggressive Policies
Across Israel’s political spectrum, leaders condemned the U.S.-Iran interim nuclear deal, holding Prime Minister Netanyahu responsible for escalating conflict and undermining diplomatic solutions in Lebanon.
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Jerusalem – Israeli officials and opposition figures responded with fierce criticism on Monday after the United States announced an interim agreement with Iran aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, clinging to his hardline stance, vowed to oppose any Iranian nuclear capability, dismissing the deal as a product of Washington’s agenda and not Israel’s. He also pointed out that Iran’s call for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon was ignored, continuing Israel’s occupation and military aggression in the region.
Other government members and prominent politicians, including former prime minister Ehud Barak and opposition leader Yair Lapid, directly blamed Netanyahu’s reckless decisions for Israel’s current predicament. Barak stated that Israel was suffering the consequences of Netanyahu’s militaristic approach, while Lapid denounced the agreement as “one of the most shocking failures in Israel’s foreign and security policy,” promising to undo the damage caused by the current administration.
The deal, which is expected to prolong the cease-fire between the United States and Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, also includes provisions that Iran wants to tie to an end of Israeli hostilities in Lebanon. Yet, Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon, disregarding U.S. concerns that further Israeli aggression could sabotage the agreement and prolong suffering in the region.
Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro warned that any escalation by Hezbollah could intensify pressure on Netanyahu, highlighting how the arrangement could restrict Israel’s ability to respond militarily to Lebanese resistance. National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, representing the far-right, called for uncompromising action against Hezbollah, even at the risk of undermining the U.S. deal and regional stability.
Analysts observed that the war, initiated on February 28, failed to achieve its stated goal of halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with Iran’s network of proxies and missile capabilities remaining intact. Political commentator Anna Barsky noted that while Israel believes the conflict delayed Iran’s nuclear program, it did nothing to change Iran’s objectives. Regional officials familiar with the negotiations indicated that the agreement would involve a phased lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen Iranian assets, signaling a potential shift toward diplomacy that Netanyahu’s government continues to resist.
