Defense Minister Ehud Barak spoke to reporters in his Defense Ministry offices in Tel Aviv Monday shortly before Memorial Day began, and discussed the security threats currently facing Israel. Israel must be prepared to face those threats, as the nation's existence is at stake, he said.
“This is not Europe or North America. There is no mercy for the weak here, and there are no second chances for those who do not know how to defend themselves,” Barak warned.
Some of Israel's enemies threaten to cause worldwide instability, Barak said. Among those enemies are Iran and Pakistan, the latter a nuclear power threatened by Islamic extremists, and the former an Islamic power seeking nuclear capability.
"We know how to keep an eye on them, and we know what to do, if it becomes necessary,” Barak said of Pakistan and Iran. He added, “For us, Iran is much more relevant than Pakistan.”
Regarding the United States plan for a period of dialog with Iran, Barak called to shorten the period of time allocated for dialog with no penalties, and to impose harsh sanctions if Iran continues with its nuclear program.
Barak continued on an optimistic note, predicting an opportunity in the near future to make peace with the Arab world. “I'm convinced that in the course of the next few years, we will need to deal with a regional agreement that includes peace and cooperation with the entire Middle East,” he said. “It will include the Palestinian track, and at the right time and in the right manner, the Syrian and Lebanese tracks as well, and it will promote normalization of our ties with the entire Arab world.”
Israel must conduct talks with Syria “from a position of power and confidence, while taking our security interests and Israel's other interests into account,” Barak said.