MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad) broke new ground in anti-Israeli rhetoric by a Knesset Member Tuesday when she told a reporter that she welcomes the development of nuclear weapons by Iran.

In an interview with Samuel Sokol for the Philadelphia Bulletin, the newly sworn-in Knesset Member said she preferred Iran over the more moderate Arab states: “The policy of Iran is more useful to the Palestinian issue and more standing against occupation than a lot of the Arab countries. This is our interest. If anyone is supporting me – so I will not mind this influence, even I would ask for this influence [sic],” she explained.

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When the reporter asked her if she is not afraid that an Iranian attack would put her at risk as well, she said: “I’m not afraid from the nuclear Iranians. I‘m more afraid from the Israeli nuclear [sic].”

Asked if she thought Israel might use its reported nuclear weapons, she answered in the affirmative. “I am afraid from real risk rather than from potential risk,” she added. “The Iranian is still in a potential. But the real risk is the Israeli army. I need a power which can make counter [sic] to the Israeli power. It is not supporting me, the fact that Israel will be the only state with a nuclear weapon. It’s more supporting me to have [a] counterpower to Israel [sic].”

Zoabi spoke in favor of mutual nuclear deterrence between Israel and Iran: “I believe that Israel would restrict its use of power if she is afraid from others. The fact [is] that she is not afraid from Arab countries. The fact that she is not afraid from a real declaration of the Arab world to declare war against Israel – making Israel more violent.

“It’s the balance of power,” she explained. “This is the only idea. Our only idea that it is more dangerous to the world, more dangerous to everyone, more dangerous to the Palestinians… to have Israel as the only powerful state. I need something to balance its power because this balance of power will restrict the Israeli [use] of power. The Israeli violence of the army is an outcome of the Israel’s convenient feeling that no one will restrict her, that no Arab country will really declare a war against [it].”