Netanyahu urges AIPAC to push for US-Israel axis against Iran

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to strengthen US-Israeli cooperation against Iran. 

AIPAC is the largest pro-Israel lobby group in the United States, and increasingly supports extremist Israeli policies against the Palestinians. It has also been accused of promoting far-right policies in the United States, and has endorsed candidates who have expressed views against the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and marginalised groups. 

Highlights of Netanyahu's gov so far:

-- Declares exclusive Jewish right to all land incl. West Bank
-- Fast tracks expulsion of 1,000 Palestinians from their homes in Masafer Yatta
--Says building illegal settlements a "top priority"@AIPAC's audience: Standing ovation. https://t.co/HRaV49iJxT

— Eva Borgwardt 🔥 (@EvaBorgwardt) January 9, 2023

During a video call with senior AIPAC members, Netanyahu stressed the importance of a US-Israel alignment against Iran. 

"The time has come for Israel and the United States, along with other countries, to stand together," he said, according to Haaretz.

He said that "the whole world sees what we said [about Iran] – that this is a terrible regime, depressive and terroristic", in reference to the anti-government protests currently rocking Iran. 

He added that he would increase his public opposition to a nuclear agreement between Iran and Western powers. 

He is also in favour of normalising ties with more Arab countries, after the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan all agreed to establish ties with Israel since 2020.

He has reportedly reached out in recent weeks to Saudi Arabia, a longtime adversary of Iran, in an attempt to improve relations between Riyadh and Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu returned to power in Israel at the helm of a right-wing extremist government last month, after spending a year in opposition.

His government includes controversial figures such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, both of whom have called for Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank.