0 Obama Announces Candidate Chuck Hagel As U.S. Defense Secretary

A senior Israeli diplomat has given a positive outlook on the nomination of Chuck Hagel as U.S. defense secretary, although some reviewers in the Jewish state revealed that the option to open a new rift in relations with Washington. U.S. President Barack Obama to nominate former Republican senator from it for the post at the Pentagon, Tuesday (8/1), answered the critics who questioned his commitment to Israel in opposition to Iran's enemies in the region.

But Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who is also a former envoy to the United States, told the newspaper the Jewish state's best-selling Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper in remarks published on Tuesday: "I have met with him (Hagel) several times, and he must respect Israel as an ally of the sincere and genuine.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a conservative who favored to win the national legislative elections on January 22, has not given the public statements relating nomination. While candidates for U.S. Secretary of Defense (U.S.) asserts "full support" for Israel on Tuesday after lawmakers criticized his views on the Middle East.

"None of the evidence that I was anti-Israel," he told The Lincoln Journal Star, a newspaper in the state of Nebraska.

Hagel who previously criticized legislators, even some people accuse him of being anti-Semitic because he had said that the "Jewish lobby" has intimidated members of Congress, and that he was "not a senator Israel." Hagel also had said that while he served as a senator, he has never signed a congressional resolution backed by the pro-Israel because the resolution was "not productive."

"The interests of the United States in the Middle East is to help Israel and the Palestinians make peace with living together," he said. Critics Hagel also said that he often against economic sanctions against Iran. Hagel added to the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper that he was against the sanctions imposed by the United States only.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the appointment of Chuck Hagel to improve relations between the U.S. and Tehran. Asked about Hagel candidacy, ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that the expected occurrence of "practical changes" in U.S. foreign policy, and attitudes.

Washington and Tehran have no diplomatic relations since the 1979 Iranian militants stormed the embassy where U.S. and kidnapped American diplomats. Tensions related to increasing American belief that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons technology, a charge Iran denied.