New York Times building
New York Times buildingIsrael News Photo

The New York Times has published an editorial attacking Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu for his opposition to a proposed deal between the P5+1 powers and Iran that would allow it to continue uranium enrichment.

“Unfortunately,” writes the New York Times, “the inconclusive negotiations have given an opening to the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who excoriated the proposed agreement as the 'deal of the century' for Iran before it is made public, to generate more hysterical opposition.”

“It would be nice if Iran could be persuaded to completely dismantle its nuclear program, as Mr. Netanyahu has demanded,” explains the Times, “but that is unlikely to ever happen. The administration of President George W. Bush made similar demands and refused to negotiate seriously and the result was an Iranian program that is more advanced than ever.

“The best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon is through a negotiated deal that limits uranium enrichment, curbs the plutonium program and allows for maximum international monitoring.”

The Times notes that French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius complained that the proposed agreement was a “fool’s game,” and bemoans the fact that he did so “just as negotiations were at a critical point.” However, it states, “American and French diplomats have since said that France’s area of concern — reportedly involving a heavy water reactor, which can produce plutonium — was easily resolved.”

“Israelis and American lawmakers,” the newspaper then charges, have “happily embraced Mr. Fabius’s outburst in pushing the United States and its allies to take a tougher line against Iran.”

The New York Times appears to be on a crusade against Netanyahu on the Iranian issue.

In an October interview-profile, the paper portrayed Netanyahu as a "shrill" voice on a one-man "messianic crusade" against Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Ten days earlier, it had published an editorial that called Netanyahu's speech at the UN General Assembly "aggressive," and noted that Netanyahu used "sarcasm" and "combative words" to portray Iran's president Hassan Rouhani as a "charlatan."