From the Washington Times:
JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister hinted strongly over the weekend that his country would act unilaterally if necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Shaul Mofaz, who hails from the same hometown as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also warned the Iranian leader that his policies risked bringing destruction to his own people.
“I want to address President Ahmadinejad, who is from the city where I was born,” said Mr. Mofaz at the opening session Saturday of the Herzliya Conference, an annual strategic seminar.
“I address you as someone who leads his country with an ideology of hate, terror and anti-Semitism. I suggest you look at history and see what happened to others who tried to wipe out the Jewish people. In the end, they brought destruction on their own people.”
Mr. Mofaz said Israel was relying “at present” on international efforts to forestall Iran’s nuclear efforts, but suggested that it would take the matter into its own hands if necessary.
“Israel is not prepared to accept the nuclear arming of Iran and it must prepare to defend itself, with all that that implies,” he said…