MIDDLE EAST:ISRAELI PRESIDENT Shimon Peres yesterday likened the Iranian nuclear threat to Nazi Germany, but said he did not support military action against Tehran in a bid to scuttle its nuclear programme.
"I am not in favour of a military attack on Iran, but we must quickly and decisively establish a strong, aggressive coalition of nations that will impose painful economic sanctions on Iran," Mr Peres told foreign journalists who are here to cover the Jewish state's 60th anniversary celebrations.
Referring to calls by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Israel to be wiped out, Mr Peres said that "the combination of nuclear weapons in the hands of a deranged extremist religious leader is a nightmare for the world". "In a way it's more complicated than in the time of the Nazis," he said. "Hitler didn't have a nuclear bomb."
Until now, Israeli leaders have tended to be ambiguous when asked about how they planned to counter Iran's nuclear programme, often responding that "all options" are open - an oblique reference to the possibility of military action. But prime minister Ehud Olmert recently said he believed efforts by the international community to prevent Iran from going nuclear would succeed.
Israel, like many western countries, believes Iran is bent on developing nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists its nuclear programme is civilian in nature. Mr Peres said a nuclear Iran would be a "nightmare", not only for Israel but "for the rest of the world". But, he added, if the international community was "united", there would be "no need for military action".
Mr Olmert held separate meetings yesterday with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to push forward with peace talks. But diplomatic efforts have been overshadowed in recent days by yet another investigation into allegations of corruption against the prime minister.
Mr Olmert was questioned by police last Friday, but a court-imposed gag order on the case means that little is known of the latest accusations against him. Mr Olmert has been beset by corruption charges throughout his two years in office and there are fears among his closest aides that another scandal could undermine his ability to govern. The latest case is the sixth affair over which he has been questioned, although he has so far not been indicted.
Meanwhile, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees in Gaza said yesterday it had received sufficient fuel for 20 days - a day after it warned it would have to cease all of its activities due to lack of fuel for its vehicles. The announcement came after Israel allowed fuel supplies into Gaza for the agency. "We have managed to pull back from the brink," said spokesman Chris Gunness, adding that it was unacceptable that a humanitarian agency was pushed to the brink in the first place.