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Alan Dershowitz: Israel should not depend on the US
Renowned lawyer tells i24news Netanyahu's suspicions on Iran are justified; optimistic about peace process
Israel should not depend on America when it comes to ensuring its own security regarding Iran, says Prof. Alan Dershowitz, a renowned American attorney and professor at Harvard Law, in an exclusive interview with i24news' Lucy Aharish.
While Dershowitz believes US President Barack Obama is determined to prevent Iran from getting an nuclear weapon, he is unsure of his ability to deliver. "Nobody can know for sure what the situation will be, which is why Israel always has to assume it will be on its own in trying to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. It cannot count on the assistance of the United States, no matter how much it trusts the president," said Dershowitz, an outspoken supporter of Israel who has published several books on the Arab-Israeli conflict, including The Case for Israel and The Case for Peace.
"Netanyahu is correct when he says the deal poses dangers to Israel," said Dershowitz in the interview. "Even the president says its only a 50/50 chance."
"Iran is a ruthless regime, they will stop at nothing," added Dershowitz. "Nobody should ever trust the Iranian regime."
However, Dershowitz also said that diplomacy is the best method of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuke. "The military option is the second worst thing that could happen," added Dershowitz. "If there is any possibility through diplomacy of eliminating their nuclear threat, every effort ought to be made."
'There is no better time'
Prof. Dershowitz also expressed optimism at the possibility of Israel and the Palestinian Authority reaching a peace agreement to establish a two state solution.
"This is a good chance, 2014 is going to be a crucial year. There is no better time for Israel and the Palestinians to come to an agreement," said Dershowitz.
Dershowitz explained that the regional situation has aligned to provide a unique opportunity for the agreement to come to fruition. "Hamas has never been weaker… the region is in turmoil… we don't know what's going to happen in terms of the Arab Spring," said Dershowitz.
The deal also offers Israel "the possibility… [of] creating better realtions with Saudi Arabia, the emirates and the gulf states."
"Resolving the Israel-Palestine dispute will go a long way towards creating a united front against Iran and also helping economically both the Palestinians and the Israelis," said Dershowitz.
Dershowitz also called the two-state solution "the only solution."
"It's no more difficult today than it was ten years ago. The nonsense that one hears that the two-state solution is impossible because there are too many settlements is ridiculous, it's an excuse," said Dershowitz. "We know what the two-state solution will look like."
Dershowitz reaffirmed the atmosphere of positivity the US Secretary of State John Kerry has conveyed in his recent comments at the Saban conference earlier this week.
"I was in the White House just last week… and the word that seems to be percolating around is that there has been 'movement', there has been some development," said Dershowitz.
"This time I'm somewhat more optimistic," said Dershowitz, who also spoke of Obama's and Kerry's determination to see a peace deal happen. "I think Abbas is a partner for peace, potentially. I think Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to make peace. So I think the elements are in place… I think we are closer than we've been.
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