The Associated Press Monday, April 7, 2008
JERUSALEM: An Israeli Cabinet minister warned Iran on Monday that any attack on the Jewish state would result in the “destruction of the Iranian nation,” his office said.
The comments by Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, a former defense minister, came as Israel held a weeklong countrywide civil defense exercise to practice government and military responses to a national emergency, such as an attack by militant groups or enemy state.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has often said Israel should be “wiped off the map” and backs Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas who fought a monthlong war with Israel in 2006.
“An Iranian attack would result in a harsh Israeli reaction that would cause the destruction of the Iranian nation,” Ben-Eliezer said during the exercise, according to a statement from his office. “They are definitely aware of our power.”
Iran is pursuing nuclear technology it says would be used to generate electricity. The U.S., EU and Israel believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons instead.
Iran says it already has long-range missiles that can reach Israel.
Israel is widely believed to have a large stockpile of nuclear weapons but follows a policy it calls “nuclear ambiguity,” and has never acknowledged or denied having a nuclear weapons program.
Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, have declared that the civil defense exercise is not meant to increase tensions in the region.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/04/07/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Iran.php