Former Israeli president opposes unilateral strike on Iran: reports

Former Israeli president Yitzhak Navon backs current President Shimon Peres’ public opposition to a unilateral strike against Iran which caused a political stir last week, Israeli media reported on Sunday.

“If I were in the place of President Peres I would act like him. A man like Shimon Peres is not able to not say anything when he feels the fate of the hour and believes with all his heart that it is his obligation to wield his influence,” the Times of Israel reported Navon as saying.

“It was clear to Peres just as it was clear to me that you are not supposed to meddle in government decisions, but there are situations that are not normal and with them you need to say what you believe.”

Aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said that Peres "forgot the role of a president in the State of Israel" after he publicly said the Jewish state could not “go it alone” against Iran amid concern the Islamic Republic is developing nuclear weapons.

“We can forestall it; therefore it’s clear to us that we have to work together with the America. There are questions of coordination and timing, but because of the nature of the danger, we are not alone,” Peres said Thursday.