Minister of Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that Israel should set itself a political objective for the next five years to join as a full member of the European Union and NATO.
Lieberman is convinced that Israel’s joining NATO will act as a deterrent for Iran not to attack Israel for fear of a military confrontation with North Atlantic Treaty Organization members. He is also convinced that joining the EU will strengthen Israel’s economy, which trades mostly with Europe anyway.
Lieberman explains his suggestion saying that Israel’s fight against terrorism is not just its private struggle, but a struggle of the entire free world. Israel’s addition to NATO will tighten Israel’s military cooperation with the member nations and will allow Israel better access to weapons which are currently exclusive to NATO members.
Lieberman also said that Israel’s joining NATO will not limit its freedom of military action against the Palestinians. “I have never seen this fact limiting any nation.”
Lieberman said that today there is no such thing as independent Palestinian terror. “Today the Palestinian terror is part of the global Jihad. All of the Palestinian terror is fed by Al Qaeda, Iran, and Hizballah. This is not Palestinian terrorism. There is no doubt that even membership in NATO will allow us 100 percent freedom in military action,” Lieberman said.