Ambassador Shoval visits CSIS

On June 19, 2009, Zalman Shoval, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, addressed a small group at CSIS on a wide range of issues affecting the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Regarding Iran, Shoval acknowledged the gravity of the threat Iran poses to Israel, but he argued that the international community overemphasizes the link between the Iranian threat and Arab-Israel conflict. Additionally, he said most Arab governments believe they face a far more serious threat from a strong, nuclear-armed Iran than from Israel. He wondered openly whether the Iranian threat would emerge as the preeminent unifying force in the region, displacing opposition to Israel.