Under pressure, Israeli leader to make his case
UNITED NATIONS -- When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks Monday at the U.N. General Assembly, many in the room will be watching for his response to scolding from President Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, and at least a dozen other heads of state.
"The pressure is on Israel to make the case why Iran should not be included in the plan -- in some way -- to fight ISIS," a Western diplomat told CBS News.
In a "60 Minutes" interview with Steve Kroft, President Obama conceded that the intelligence community underestimated ISIS, and his government has reached out to Iran for help in trying to rein in the militants advancing across northern Iraq and Syria.
But Netanyahu defines the threat to his nation more broadly than his American counterparts. In his Rosh Hashanah video message, he said the challenges facing Israel include ISIS, Hamas, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Iran.
In an interview just before arriving in New York, Netanyahu said, "the biggest threat, without question, is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons, which means Iran."
The crisis in Syria isn't the only reason the Israeli leader will come under pressure over his government's tough stance on Iran. "The P5 + 1 countries (U.S., U.K, France, Russia, China and Germany) really want to conclude a nuclear agreement, difficult as it is," explained the diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity given the sensitive subject matter.
Before he left Israel, Netanyahu lashed out at the accusations against Israel -- which have cropped up in more U.N. speeches than ever before. He called Iranian President Rouhani's remarks "deceptive" and Palestinian President Abbas' speech "inflammatory."
Netanyahu said his own address the United Nations would "refute the slander and lies directed at our country."
President Obama also told world leaders at the annual gathering of the General Assembly that too many Israelis were ready to abandon a bid for peace in the region, and he departed from his prepared remarks to add pointedly: "that's something worthy of reflection within Israel."
"Let's be clear," Mr. Obama said, weighing in on the stagnant peace process between Israelis and the Palestinians, "the status quo in the West Bank and Gaza is not sustainable."
But somewhat sour relations between Washington and Tel Aviv have not kept Netanyahu from making the rounds on his trip to the U.S.
He met with Secretary of State John Kerry upon his arrival in New York, and the Obama administration's take on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' remarks at the U.N. will have lent some comfort.
"President Abbas' speech today included offensive characterizations that were deeply disappointing and which we reject," said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Netanyahu was scheduled to meet U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday, and then President Obama in Washington on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Iran continued negotiating a nuclear deal with Western nations on the sidelines of the General Assembly, and the Associated Press reported that the Obama administration was talking about softening the terms to allow Iran to keep more of its nuclear materials.
Netanyahu was expected to make the case that Iran's nuclear program is still a threat, and that any concessions would be a mistake.
