How the U.S.-Iran Standoff Looks From Israel: Efraim Inbar

Feb. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The upheaval in the Arab world hasdamaged Israel’s strategic environment. Its peace treaty withEgypt, a pillar of national security for more than threedecades, is in question. More important, the events in the Arabworld have deflected attention from Israel’s most fearedscenario, a nuclear Iran, playing into the Iranian strategy tobuy time in order to present the world with a nuclear faitaccompli. Israel’s leaders fear that the international responseis now unlikely to impact Iranian policy, at a point when itsnuclear program is so advanced.

Only in November 2011 did the International Atomic EnergyAgency, an institution that for years refused to call a spade aspade, publish a report voicing its concern over Iranianactivities that do not easily fit with those of a civilianprogram. And only in January, did the European Union and theU.S. declare new sanctions that could have a significant effecton Iran’s economy. For Israel, this may have come too late.