‘Are we forbidden to defend ourselves?’ – Netanyahu slams IAEA chief over Iran remarks

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly rebuked the head of the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) after he claimed that military attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities are “outlawed.”

The UN’s IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, visited Iran last week and was asked by reporters about threats from the United States and Israel to attack Iran if negotiations were unsuccessful. Mr Grossi claimed that “any military attack on a nuclear facility is outlawed,” adding that such action “is out of the normative structures that we all abide by.”

Israel’s leader addressed the claim saying, “Rafael Grossi is a worthy person who made an unworthy remark.”

“Outlawed by what law? Is Iran, which publicly calls for our extermination, allowed to protect its weapons of destruction that will slaughter us?” Netanyahu said.

“Are we forbidden to defend ourselves?” he added. “Of course, we are allowed, and of course, we are doing this… nothing will prevent us from protecting our country and preventing oppressors from destroying the Jewish state.”

Netanyahu noted the Jewish festival of Purim, set to take place this week, when “2,500 years ago, a certain persecutor arose in Persia that wanted to exterminate the Jews.

“They did not succeed then, they will not succeed today,” Netanyahu said, referencing the efforts of Haman, the villain of the Bible’s Book of Esther.

At CUFI UK we have long been sounding the alarm about the Iranian regime’s ambitions to wipe out Israel. Our ‘Operation Mordecai’ campaign directly links the Biblical story of Esther to the modern day threat from the Iranian regime.

In the last two weeks the IAEA has announced that Iran has enriched uranium to 83.7%, which is just under the 90% threshold for weapons grade uranium. However, it should be noted that even at 80% enrichment, a bomb is possible. The world’s first atomic bomb was “Little Boy”, which the US army used at Hiroshima against the Japanese during World War II.

Additionally, the CIA announced last week that Tehran was just two weeks away from being able to produce a nuclear bomb if they so desired. Iran is on the brink of a nuclear weapon and the West has been unable to stop their plans through negotiation and political means. This means that Israel is being pushed further towards the military option.

We must continue to pray that Iran will abandon its nuclear plans and end its desire to destroy Israel and the Jewish people. Likewise, we must pray for Israel’s leaders as they make tough decisions in the days and weeks ahead.

Israel is in a constant fight for its survival. We must continue to hold Israel up in prayer and continue to speak out against those who threaten her.