Ya'alon slams politicization of Iran comments

'Politicians chose to trample all over my body as they charge forward.'

By JPOST.COM STAFF
yaalon mofaz 298 (photo credit: IDF [file])
yaalon mofaz 298
(photo credit: IDF [file])
Former chief of general staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Moshe Ya'alon complained Sunday that his name and his statements were being enlisted for others' political uses. Ya'alon's comment followed a barrage of allegations concerning statements he made last week in Washington DC, in which he commented on Israel's capacity to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. "Politicians in Israel chose to trample all over my body as they charge forward, Ya'alon said in an interview with Army Radio on Sunday morning. "I didn't reveal any national secrets. I reiterate that Israel and the west do have a military option against Iran," he added. "Apparently, politicians have an interest in this topic, and unfortunately, it works against me. I don't like it when people adopt me. The response to what I said is irresponsible and is not in line with what I actually said." Ya'alon came under fire in Israel over the weekend following a speech he gave at the Hudson Institute in Washington in which he argued that Israel and the West can launch an attack which will put the Iranian nuclear project back several years. In his speech last week Ya'alon said that Israel, the US and the European can launch a joint air strike against dozens of nuclear sites in Iran and lead to a delay of several years in the Iranian ability to achieve a nuclear bomb. Ya'alon predicted that if it is not disturbed by the West, Iran can acquire the nuclear know-how within 6-18 months and have a bomb in 3 to 5 years. On Friday, after hearing the harsh reactions in Israel to his speech, Ya'alon said that not one of those who criticized him in Israel bothered to call him up and ask about his remarks. "The uproar is coming from sources that are not relevant to this issue and might cause more damage to Israel than the remarks themselves", Ya'alon added. The former chief of staff is now in the US as a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and is expected to return to Israel in June.