The re-election of hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a disputed vote underscores the growing threat posed by Tehran and its nuclear ambitions, two senior Israeli politicians said Saturday, urging the world not to engage in dialogue with Iran, AP reported.
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and Vice Premier Silvan Shalom appeared to be expressing their personal views and not those of the Israeli government. Government spokesman Mark Regev said it was not clear when the Israeli government would make a formal statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that Iran's nuclear ambitions, not Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, should occupy the world's attention.
Friction has been growing between Israel and the U.S. over Netanyahu's refusal to endorse the idea of Palestinian statehood and a settlement freeze, as sought by the Obama administration.
Netanyahu is to deliver a major policy speech Sunday to clarify his positions. The re-election of Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, could strengthen his argument.
Authorities in Iran declared Ahmadinejad was re-elected in a landslide, though his opponent, reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, claimed fraud and threatened to challenge results that he denounced as "treason."
Despite the fluid situation, the statements by Ayalon and Shalom presumed an Ahmadinejad victory.
"If we had any shred of hope for change in Iran, the re-election of Ahmadinejad demonstrates the increasing Iranian threat," Ayalon said in a text message sent to news organizations.
Ayalon also said there was no difference between the incumbent and Mousavi concerning "the nuclear issue and terror," an apparent reference to Iran's support for the Palestinian militant faction Hamas and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
"With the results of the Iranian elections, the international community has to stop the Iranian nuclear problem and terrorism from Iran immediately," Ayalon said.
Shalom, who also serves as Israel's minister for regional cooperation, said in a statement: "The election results in Iran are blowing up in the face of those who thought that Iran is built for real dialogue with the free world, concerning its nuclear program."
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said he did not think there would be any change in American policy toward Iran "because the same person will be there," Carter said after a meeting with the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
"Hopefully, he'll moderate his position," he said about Ahmadinejad.
The Palestinians also watched the Iranian vote closely. Iran is a major patron of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that overran Gaza two years ago, ousting the forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas and his aides have in the past accused Iran of meddling in Palestinian affairs and making Palestinian reconciliation more difficult.
An Abbas aide, Saeb Erekat, hinted at Iran's role Saturday. "We want Iran to take the side of Palestine, not this faction or that faction," he said.