In a Wednesday presentation on the weakness of the Iranian nuclear deal, Dore Gold, who serves as the Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referred to Sunni Arab nations in the region as “allies” of the Jewish state.
“What we have is a [Iranian] regime on a roll that is trying to conquer the Middle East,” said Gold, who added, “and it’s not Israel talking, that is our Sunni Arab neighbors — and you know what? I’ll use another expression – that is our Sunni Arab allies talking.”
An Israeli official referring to some of the Sunni Arab states as “allies” remains a rare occurrence, as the majority of the Arab world still refuses to recognize the sovereignty of the Jewish state.
But Israel and the Sunni countries share a common enemy in the rogue regime in Tehran and have been working behind the scenes to coordinate a response to the Islamic Republic’s nuclear efforts, according to various reports.
Gold said of the Iran deal: “We will find a practical way to come up with solutions to a very dangerous situation. But in the meantime we have to tell what we think about this agreement. We have to say the truth even though it’s unpleasant.”
The New York City conference was hosted by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, a bi-partisan outfit whose members consist of several pro-Israel and Jewish advocacy groups.
Also featured in the conference was Amos Yadlin, the former head of Israel’s military intelligence unit. Yadlin called the deal a “disaster” when it comes to the likelihood that Iran will be able to secure a nuclear weapon within 15 years.
Yadlin argued that once the Iran deal becomes reality following a congressional review, Israel should do its best to coordinate with the United States on intelligence matters, Haaretz reports.