'We won't attack Iran before year's end'

Channel 2 says PM made commitment to Obama not to disturb US attempts at dialogue with Teheran.

netanyahu stresses point to obama 248.88 (photo credit: AP)
netanyahu stresses point to obama 248.88
(photo credit: AP)
During his meeting with US President Barack Obama on Monday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made a commitment that Israel would not attack Iran at least until the end of the year and would not disturb Washington's plans for dialogue with Teheran over its nuclear program in any way, Channel 2 reported on Tuesday. Also according to the report, Obama said that in three months - not the previously reported six - he would reassess his attempts at dialogue with the Islamic republic. The two sides decided to set up intimate US-Israeli strategic teams to coordinate moves vis a vis the Iranian issue, continued the report. However, quoting a top Jerusalem official, Channel 10 said that Israel was concerned that after realizing that his attempts at dialogue with Iran had failed, Obama would refuse to acknowledge it, and that Israel would then be left alone to deal with the threat posed by Teheran and would need "to make a tough decision." On the Middle East peace process, a top US source told Channel 2 that the matter of Netanyahu's position on a two-state solution was still being worked on and that the White House expected an Israeli response on the settlement issue within a month, before Obama unveils his new peace initiative. Netanyahu reportedly told Obama he wasn't making a commitment to freeze settlements, saying it was impractical and politically impossible. Channel 10 said Obama viewed West Bank settlements as a real obstacle to peace, and expected Israel to stop such construction immediately. According to the report, Washington did not see any way to kick start peace negotiations while settlement expansion continued.