By Xinhua
Jerusalem : Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that Israel has the might and power to defend itself against any threat from Iran, local media reported.
“Israel definitely sees itself threatened by Iran,” Olmert was quoted by the website of local daily Ha’aretz as saying during a tour in northern Israel. “Israel has the might and power to defend itself against any threat.”
Olmert expressed his satisfaction with the United Nations Security Council’s decision to go forward with a third round of sanctions against Iran. Iran, he said, was a global threat – not one that Israel should be left to deal with on its own.
“I don’t think the Iranian issue is primarily Israel’s responsibility. It is the responsibility of the United States and the responsibility of other members of the international community that are convinced that Iran constitutes a threat,” he said.
Early Tuesday, Israeli government released a statement saying that it was welcoming the resolution against Iran’s nuclear program.
“This important resolution is an unequivocal message that the international community cannot countenance Iran’s nuclear program,” according to the statement.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said the third Security Council resolution is an additional necessary step that expresses the understanding that the international community must neither give up nor stand aside in the face of Iran’s attempts to attain a nuclear capability.
“Any additional decision by any state, company or group adds further weight to the body of sanctions necessary to stop Iran,” she added.
The Security Council approved the new sanctions with near unanimous support, sending a strong signal to Teheran that its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment is unacceptable and becoming increasingly costly.