Moshe Ya'alon. Photo: Jini/Haaretz.

JNS.org – Israel can only rely on itself, and not the United States, to lead action against Iran’s nuclear program, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said in comments published Tuesday by Haaretz.

“We had thought the ones who should lead the campaign against Iran is the United States,” Ya’alon said in a speech at Tel Aviv University. “But at some stage the United States entered into negotiations with them, and unhappily, when it comes to negotiating at a Persian bazaar, the Iranians were better.”

Israel, therefore, needs to “behave as though we have nobody to look out for us but ourselves” when it comes to the Iranian threat, said Ya’alon.

A senior Obama administration official said in response, “We were shocked by Moshe Ya’alon’s comments, which seriously call into question his commitment to Israel’s relationship with the United States,” according to Haaretz.