(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening (Wednesday, 22 July 2015), met with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. Following is an excerpt of his remarks at the start of their meeting:
 
"We're told that the only alternative to this bad deal is war. But the very opposite is true. By strengthening the terrorist state of Iran, this deal makes war not less likely, but more likely.

We are told that this agreement will prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Well, that's exactly what was said about the deal with North Korea. And today, North Korea has about a dozen nuclear weapons and it's on its way to get many, many more.

This deal paves Iran's path to an entire nuclear arsenal within a decade or so. Because at that point Iran will be free of any constraints of producing as many centrifuges as they want and they can enrich as much uranium as they want. And this will pose a formidable threat to the peace of the world.

I believe also that the expectation that Iran will become a military nuclear power will be enough in itself to spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, the most volatile region on earth.

And how will that end?

Second, with the almost immediate easing of sanctions, billions of dollars, 100-150 billion dollars right away in the first year, but then hundreds of billions of dollars will flow into Iran's coffers. And that will fund Iran's terror machine and its war-making machine.

That's more Iranian aggression in Iraq, in Syria, in Lebanon, in Libya, in Yemen and elsewhere. That's more Iranian ballistic missiles, that's more terrorism from the Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad.

I believe a better deal is still possible. And in any case, no agreement is better than this bad agreement. And I repeat: This agreement doesn't prevent war; it will make war - even nuclear war - more likely.

Iran's President called the Security Council's adoption of this deal an 'historic event.' Well, he's right. It's a historic mistake.

A better deal that would tie the lifting of restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and would roll back Iran's nuclear infrastructure, such a deal would be tied to ending Iran's aggression and terrorism. That's the real alternative."