WASHINGTON
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on Wednesday fired back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about his remarks that world powers have given up on stopping Iran's nuclear program.
"If the prime minister has an alternative about how those concerns can be more effectively resolved, then we’d certainly be interested in hearing his ideas for that," Earnest told reporters. "But the president continues to believe that those negotiations are the best way for us to ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon."
At a meeting of his Likud Party earlier in the day, Netanyahu said world powers “have given up” on stopping Iran from developing nuclear weapons during currently negotiations.
Earnest said the Israeli leader has articulated his concern and, in some cases, even opposed those negotiations, but the administration continues to believe negotiations are the best way to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
He also said as the Middle East is a rather volatile region of the world, if Iran were to obtain a nuclear weapon, it might set off a nuclear arms race that would add to the instability in the region.
Earnest also defended remarks earlier Wednesday by U.S National Security Advisor Susan Rice that Netanyahu’s upcoming speech to Congress is "destructive" to the U.S.-Israel relationship.
He said Rice’s comments were in accord with President Barack Obama's position.
"I believe what Susan was referring to is how reducing the U.S.-Israeli relationship to just a relationship between two political parties is destructive to a relationship between our two countries that for generations had been strengthened through bipartisan cooperation, not just in this country but in Israel," he added.
