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Ehud Barak warns against Trump-Rouhani meeting

"It's a red light for all of us, which warns against Netanyahu's over-dependence on President Trump and the sharp turnarounds in [Trump's] stances," Barak claimed.

AUGUST 27, 2019 12:12

Former prime minister Ehud Barak warned against a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Iran's President Hassan Rouhani.

"It's a red light for all of us, which warns against Netanyahu's over-dependence on President Trump and the sharp turnarounds in [Trump's] stances," Barak said.

Barak also used the US-North Korea relations as an example. "In North Korea, we saw war threats that ended in hugs, a dead end in negotiations, hugs again, and then the story repeats itself all over again," Barak said. "The same could happen with Iran."

"If the Trump administration continues to implement its plan to withdraw from the Middle East, Israel will face more complex challenges

– mainly with regards to stopping Hezbollah's missile project and the Iranian establishment in Syria," Barak warned.

Barak did not fail to attack Netanyahu's policies, saying: "Today, Netanyahu is increasingly dependent on Trump's mood, as already demonstrated in the affair with the two congresswomen [Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib], where he turned them from a minor annoyance into famous national figures, as well as the deterioration of relations with the Democratic Party and the Jewish community."

"Trump looks as if Netanyahu is transparent to him, and Netanyahu bends to Trump's every whim," Barak added.

President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that Iran will not talk to the United States until all sanctions imposed on Tehran are lifted. The comments came a day after Trump said he would meet his Iranian counterpart to try to end a nuclear standoff.