'Iran nuclear deal opens window for Israel to join new Mideast order'

Shabtai Shavit, who served as Mossad director from 1989 to 1996, gave an interview on Sunday to US radio broadcaster Aaron Klein.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: JULY 19, 2015 16:41
Sisi, Netanyahu and Abdulaziz (photo credit: ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP,BERTRAND GUAY / AFP,HO / SPA / AFP)
Sisi, Netanyahu and Abdulaziz
(photo credit: ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP,BERTRAND GUAY / AFP,HO / SPA / AFP)
The former head of Israel’s vaunted intelligence agency Mossad said on Sunday that the nuclear deal struck between Iran and Western powers offers Jerusalem an opening to join “a new Middle Eastern order.”
Shabtai Shavit, who served as Mossad director from 1989 to 1996, told US radio broadcaster Aaron Klein that Israel now has even more impetus to make common cause with Sunni Arab countries who are nervous over the West’s overtures toward their common nemesis - Iran.
“I believe that in the present time there is a widow of opportunity for Israel in order to try and pursue a new order in the Middle East,” Shavit said.
The former spy chief said that Sunni states like Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf sheikhdoms share Israel’s suspicions about Iran, giving the Jewish state a de facto membership in the moderate camp.
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“Iran is considered to be the adversary of all those countries that you mentioned, of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the Emirates,” Shavit said. “In other words, the more moderate Sunni Islam. And we are a member in this same camp.”
"We have here a unique opportunity to try and create a coalition of moderate Arab countries headed by Saudi Arabia and Israel, both in order to address the Iranian potential nuclear capability in the future and also in order to create a new order in the Middle East," he said.
Shavit said that the formation of the new coalition is predicated on a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, which Sunni Arab governments can help facilitate.
"I believe that having the moderate Sunni countries being involved in an Israeli-Palestinian political solution - they are in a position to contribute a lot in order to achieve this objective," he said. "Bearing in mind the fact that up until now we did not succeed in (reaching) any kind of a final solution with the Palestinians in spite of the participation of all kinds of other parties like the Americans, the Europeans and others."
"I personally agree that the participation of Saudi Arabia, of Egypt and Jordan, both countries that we already have peace treaties with them, and the Emirates - their contribution to such a solution can be considerable."
The full interview can be heard on the “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio” broadcast Sunday night on New York’s AM 970 The Answer and Philadelphia’s NewsTalk 990 AM.