Itongadol.- Iran\’s nuclear program has yet to reach the "red line" Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu set last year at the United Nations General Assembly, he said Monday.
"Iran is continuing its nuclear plan," Netanyahu said at a Likud Beytenu faction meeting. "They have not yet passed the red line I presented at the UN, but they are getting closer to it."
"We cannot let Iran cross the red line," he added.
Netanyahu also referred to the fighting in Syria and rocket fire from Gaza, saying the government "will not allow our citizens to be harmed, not in the north or the south."
"It needs to be clear to all of the powers in Gaza – if they continue these attacks, we will not allow them. We will respond with much greater force," he stated.
Earlier Monday, Economics and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett took former prime minister Ehud Olmert to task for criticizing the government\’s handling of the Iranian threat while in New York at The Jerusalem Post Conference.
"We are at the height of Lag Ba\’Omer, and unfortunately, former prime minister Ehud Olmert chose to light a bonfire in New York," Bennett said. "The bonfire is mistaken, unnecessary and harmful."
According to Bennett, Olmert\’s assessment is incorrect because he has not been prime minister for several years and is not up to date. It is unnecessary and harmful, as all chatter about the Iranian threat is, the minister stated.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu initiated and led a significant international effort against our greatest enemy, and I wish him luck. Any attempt to undermine this is bad for Israel," Bennett added.
The Economics and Trade Minister called for everyone to listen to Israeli democracy.
"We have a prime minister, we have a good and responsible government that takes care of national security," he said.
On Sunday, Olmert expressed skepticism about Netanyahu\’s timeline for action against Iran before it acquires a nuclear weapon.
“I think that we have exaggerated, for a long time, the potential threat of Iran possessing nuclear power,” he added. “They don’t have it not only because of their failures. Perhaps someone helped them to fail.”
Olmert also criticized Netanyahu for making public statements on Iran that could embarrass US President Barack Obama.