*sigh*
This took 15 minutes, but I bet I could go back to the 90s. Enjoy being surprised by the least surprising news in the world.
2008: "If Iran continues its program to develop nuclear weapons, we will attack it," Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz told Yediot Ahronot, Israel's largest mass-circulation daily. "The window of opportunity has closed. The sanctions are not effective. There will be no alternative but to attack Iran in order to stop the Iranian nuclear program."
2009: "
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has said that Israel is not bluffing in its threats to take military action against Iran's contentious nuclear program, in remarks broadcast Friday on Sky News."
2012: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised the specter of war by saying unilateral strikes on Iranian nuclear sites are possible within months."
and
"On August 10, Channel 2 News, Israel's leading news program, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak were on the verge of making a decision to go to war.
Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's largest daily, reports, "Insofar as it depends on [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and [Defense Minister] Ehud Barak, an Israeli military strike on the nuclear facilities in Iran will take place in these coming autumn months, before the U.S. elections in November."
The week before, the
New York Times reported,
"In Israel, there remains feverish speculation that Mr. Netanyahu will act in September or early October."
A former head of Israeli intelligence commented, "If I was an Iranian, I would be very fearful of the next 12 weeks."
2013: "Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said that Iran is moving "closer and closer" to building a nuclear weapon and warned that his country may have to act against Tehran to curb it from achieving its goal before the United States does."
2014: "A front-page headline in the daily
Haaretz on Thursday proclaimed that Netanyahu has ordered “to prep for strike on Iran in 2014” and has allocated 10 billion shekels (US$2.87 billion) for the groundwork. Earlier this week, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon hinted that Israel would have to pursue a military strike on its own, with the U.S. having chosen the path of negotiations. And the military chief, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, said this week that Iran “is not in an area that is out of the military’s range.”"
...
Yaakov Amidror, who recently stepped down as Netanyahu’s national security adviser, said the threat of a military strike is a real possibility.
“We aren’t playing a game of neighbourhood bully. This is a stated policy of the state of Israel and has been made clear … to anyone who meets Israel’s representatives.”"