A member of Israel's Knesset says the foreign policy of President Barack Obama has emboldened Iran to accelerate its development of nuclear bombs.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently expressed his dissatisfaction with Washington over its refusal to spell out what would provoke a "red line" for the U.S. to take military action against Iranian nuclear facilities.
The Obama administration has steadfastly insisted on giving diplomacy and sanctions more time to try to compel Iran to abandon its nuclear work.
Danny Danon, deputy speaker of the Israeli Knesset and a member of the ruling Likud Party, is currently in the United States promoting his new book, Israel: The Will to Prevail, which is harshly critical of President Obama. He says countries like Iran see appeasement as a sign of weakness.
"Today we see that Iranians continue to enrich uranium to build five nuclear bombs. At the same time, Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton and President Obama are standing idly by and are not willing to take a leadership role with stopping Iran from becoming nuclear," Danon laments.
He suggests that President Obama not base his national security decisions on how it might affect his re-election.
"I think it is a moral decision. Sometimes leaders must make a decision not according to the polls," he contends. "It is a threat to the American people as well if Iran would become nuclear … nobody knows if this weapon and technology will not reach the shores of the United States of America."
Still, Danon asserts that while Israel remains on the frontline in the confrontation with Iran, it does have the military capability to deal with the threat alone, if necessary.