Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, said that Israel is “far from even contemplating” attacking Iran at present. Speaking with CNN’s Fareed Zakaria in his first television interview since his appointment as ambassador on May 3, Oren voiced his confidence in the Obama administration’s handling of the Iranian threat.
A short segment of the conversation made available by CNN in advance of the airing of the full interview went thus:
Zakaria: Let’s talk about Iran. John Bolton has recently said that he believes that Israel is likely to attack Iran by the end of this year. Is that true?
Oren: I don’t think it’s true. I think that we are far from even contemplating such things right now. The government of Israel has supported President Obama in his approach to Iran – initially the engagement outreach to Iran… The Prime Minister…
Zakaria: You’re just saying this Michael, you don’t really… it is well known that the government of Israel was deeply uncomfortable and nervous about the idea of engagement with Iran.
Oren: We were, but we were greatly comfited [sic] during the Prime Minister’s visit here in May when the President told the Prime Minister – assured him – that there would be a serious reassessment of the engagement policy before the end of the year. And we are further reassured now that the end of the year deadline has been moved up to September we actually have a date when it's going to occur we are comforted by the fact that the Administration, in the aftermath of recent events in Iran, has exhibited greater willingness to consider formulating a package of serious sanctions against Iran even now, in advance of the reassessment.