Israel Asks for Intensification of Sanctions

Israel proper is sending out Knesset members to warn European and Asian Governments of the threat posed by Iran. They are asking for more sanctions.

Sanction are an act of war - a blockade, more or less. Egypt's blockade of the Red Sea led to the attack on Egypt by Israel.

ome 15 Knesset members from a broad spectrum of parties will soon embark on a tour of Europe and the Far East to explain the dangers of Iran's nuclear program and urge that sanctions against the Islamic Republic be intensified.

Sometime in March, the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency will meet for another discussion of Iran's nuclear program, and a few weeks later, the Security Council will meet to discuss a third round of sanctions against Tehran, in light of its continued defiance of the council's demand that it cease enriching uranium. Therefore, the next few weeks are critical in drumming up support for harsher sanctions.

Israel's stepped-up lobbying effort is in part a response to the release by the United States late last year of a new National Intelligence Estimate, which claimed that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program.

So, as conflict with Iran grows and if/when it leads to war, you can safely say that pressure for such an outcome was applied by Israel.

Haaretz