Summary Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel would do everything it needs to do to defend itself.
JERUSALEM (AP) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that he "utterly rejects" the emerging nuclear deal between western powers and Iran, calling it a "bad deal" and promising that Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself.
He spoke before meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who returned to Tel Aviv for a briefing before he travels to Switzerland to participate in nuclear talks with Iran.
Kerry s decision to fly to Geneva comes after signs that global powers and Iran were close to a deal that would cap some of Iran s suspected nuclear program in exchange for limited relief from economic sanctions.
"I understand the Iranians are walking around very satisfied in Geneva as well they should because they got everything and paid nothing," Netanyahu told reporters.
"They wanted relief of sanctions after years of grueling sanctions, they got that. They paid nothing because they are not reducing in any way their nuclear enrichment capability. So Iran got the deal of the century and the international community got a bad deal," Netanyahu said.
"This is a very bad deal and Israel utterly rejects it. Israel is not obliged by this agreement and Israel will do everything it needs to do to defend itself and defend the security of its people," he said.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki confirmed Kerry would go Geneva to meet Friday with the European Union s top diplomat, Catherine Ashton, and Iran s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Israel believes Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, and says international pressure should be stepped up, not eased.
The Iranian nuclear program will likely to dominate Friday s meeting, overshadowing Kerry s efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
A senior state department official said that Kerry has been open to the possibility of traveling to Geneva for the talks "if it would help narrow differences."
The official said Ashton asked Kerry to attend the latest round of discussions. The official called the negotiations "a complex process" and said Kerry was "committed to doing anything he can" to help.
