Israeli and American right wing politicians reacted with harsh criticism Saturday night to US President Barak Obama’s speech in which he stated that the US will wait for Congressional approval before carrying out an attack on Syria.
In particular, members of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) party, including Deputy Education Minister Avi Wortzman, expressed skepticism over the prospect of US action, saying "Obama’s announcement in regards to an attack on Syria is significant, but probably too little too late."
"The hesitation and hypocrisy of America and the rest of the ‘free world’ confirms the suspicion that when it comes to maintaining the security of the state of Israel, we cannot rely on others and their promises, but we must be prepared to protect and secure ourselves,” Wortzman declared.
Housing Minister Uri Ariel, also of the Bayit Yehudi party, publicly expressed doubt in the US administration:
“I just heard the speech from US President Barak Obama. After days of international conflict, Tehran is opening the champagne and switching into higher gear en route to nuclear weapons. If anyone thinks that the President will attack Iran, based on evidence that Iran crossed the red line towards nuclear weapons, is probably hallucinating.”
He continued, “When the world is silent in the face of atrocities like in Syria, where one hundred thousand buried people are evidence of clear use of weapons of mass destruction, we see today as we face great danger, and question if no one in the world will stand by us, we can only protect ourselves.”
Bayit Yehudi MK and member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Yoni Chetboun said, “Genocide in Syria needs to shake every person in the ‘free world.’ It is important to understand that without a surgical operation, weapons will remain in the hands of the insane.”
Chetboun also addressed Israel’s involvement declaring that, “As a people that went through the Holocaust, we know better than anyone else how cruel the silence of the world can be. Nevertheless, the current Israeli interest is not to interfere with Syria’s dilemma in quicksand.”