Defense minister asserts that decision on military strike against Islamic Republic must be made now; says ´In all of Israel´s history there is no issue that has been dealt with as deeply as the issue of Iran´

Defense Minister Ehud Barak continued to address speculation of a possible military attack against Iran on Thursday during the Knesset plenum, and explained why a decision on Iran must be made now.

Barak said that dealing with a nuclear Iran would be incomparably more dangerous and more expensive.

"Dealing with Iran is not risk-free but in fact there are outcomes that we can´t predict." However, Barak asserted that the government would be able to make the decision on the matter. "Any decision made, will be decided upon by the government and not civilian groups or editorials," he said.

Speaking at the swearing in of Avi Dichter as Israel´s new Home Front Defense Minister, Barak said that "In all the wars and peacemaking (efforts) in Israel´s history, there is no issue that has been dealt with as deeply as the issue of Iran has."

Barak further said that "there are differences of opinion, but the subject of Iran is being dealt with. Neither the First Lebanon War, nor the Second Lebanon War or even the Oslo Accords were dealt with in this manner."

Regarding the possible strike against Iran, Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz further said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is blatantly interfering in the US election and is "risking our children´s lives" for the sake of political survival.

Mofaz further criticized Netanyahu, claiming that the Israeli government headed by the PM has not invested enough in protecting the home front. "The new home front defense minister might have a fancy title but he has no true authority or the means to deal with such threats," he said.

"You can cast the legal responsibility on Dichter but the moral responsibility is still on you," Mofaz added with regards to Netanyahu.

"Netanyahu is trying to create a panic and scare us, and the truth is that we are scared – scared of his lack of judgment, scared that he is being led and not leading, but most of all, we´re scared that he is executing a policy that is both dangerous and irresponsible," Mofaz said. (Copyright 2012 © Yedioth Internet 08/16/12)