Sen. Tim Kaine says Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unrealistic and feels any deal with Iran would be a bad deal.
"In my personal opinion based on discussions with him, um, I think he feels like any deal would be a bad deal," Kaine told the John Fredericks Show on Friday, adding that he thought Netanyahu had no realistic alternative to a deal with Iran.
"I have not heard him articulate anything that I think is realistic as an alternative. And,um, Israel, the entire world, the United States are going to better off with an Iran with no nuclear weapons to an Iran with nuclear weapons. So, um, while he does not seem to like the framework of this deal -- and that's no surprise he's said that all along, in my last visit to Israel in January there are others: intelligence, military, others who actually think a deal of this kind, while not perfect, is certainly the best alternative."
The Virginia Democrat is a sponsor of the Senate bill requiring Congressional approval of any deal of with Iran regarding its nuclear program.
Kaine added earlier he personally had met with Netanyahu five times regarding Iran in the last few years.
"I have met with the prime minister probably five times, three times in his office and twice in Washington to talk about Iran over the course of the last few years. He has really since the mid-90s, he has been really focused on Iranian behavior and on Iranian nuclear program. You know, and he should be, Iran is a nation that is (A) dangerous and (B) most of its leadership is very anti-Semitic and he is deeply concerned on the effect of Iranian behavior particularly if Iran gets a nuclear weapon on Israel."
Here's the audio:
