Security fears over Iran gave Benjamin Netanyahu election win
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu owes his election win to Israeli security fears, notably about Iran’s growing regional influence, said an official of a Gulf Arab government wary of Tehran’s progress towards a nuclear deal with world powers.
“With Iran emerging again, it was highly expected that Netanyahu would win,” said the Gulf Arab official, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“He’s a man who believes strongly in protecting his people, and this is what Israel wants now.”
The Gulf Arab states, led by dominant Gulf Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia, see Shi’ite Iran as their main regional rival and fear an atomic deal could lead to Tehran developing a nuclear weapon, or could ease political pressure on it, giving it more space to back Arab…