December 12, 2007 (LPAC)--Former head of the Mossad, Efraim Halevy, told the Jerusalem Post that Israel must ensure that if the U.S. opens talks with Iran, so does Israel.

Commenting on the National Intelligence Estimate, he said that it gave no reason to be relieved, since the report concluded that "Iran has the scientific, technical and industrial capacity eventually to produce nuclear weapons if it decides to do so." Nonetheless, he said, the Iranian regime "operates in a rational way, based on its interests."

"They can be deterred," Halevy stated. "They have to be deterred." Currently the head of the Shasha Center for Strategic Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Halevy said he was "not sure" the NIE report had taken the US military option off the table, but that what was "in the cards" now was U.S. engagement. The U.S. "has already involved Iran in its Baghdad Conference set-up," aimed at reducing violence in Iraq, and would need direct engagement with Iran to deal with Afghanistan, with the al-Qaida threat and with other issues.

"In the situation now developing, U.S.-Iranian engagement is coming closer and closer -- regardless of whether it's in our interest or not," he said. "The U.S. will [engage diplomatically] whether we want it to or not. And if what is in the cards is engagement, it is essential that Israel have a seat at the table. The future of the region cannot be determined with Israel outside the door." Halevy said that Israel should ensure that the U.S. make Israeli-Iranian negotiations a precondition. "As with Annapolis, everyone has to be there," he said. He said Iran "needs the dialogue" with the US and that "each side has to make concessions." Although admitting Iranian-Israeli talks now seem far-fetched, he nonetheless said, "The impossible happens twice a week in the Middle East."