Israeli cabinet weekly meeting

(22 Jan 2012) SHOTLIST 1.Wide of Israeli cabinet ministers arriving for weekly meeting 2. SOUNDBITE (English): Silvan Shalom,Israeli Deputy Prime Minister: "Our fight is not against Mashaal or against Haniyeh. It's against the ideology that is trying to destroy the state of Israel." 3. Mid Israeli cabinet ministers being interviewed by media 4. Various of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arriving at cabinet meeting 5.SOUNDBITE (English): Uzi Landau, Israeli Minister of Energy and Water: "I think that we'll have to make a decision based on our very basic and most important interests. I don't think it would be good for America to be involved in that in any way. We'll have to take the decision ourselves, if we take it. Above it I guess the issue is not just an Israeli issue; it's foremost an issue of the free world and of the United States.That's why I think we shouldn't involve America in a decision that we're going to take unilaterally, if we'll take it." 6. Wide of cabinet meeting 7. SOUNDBITE (hebrew): Benjamin Netanyahu,Israeli Prime Minister: ""We are the Jewish nation and the government of Israel. We have the right and the duty and the ability to prevent another extermination of the Jewish people and of its state." 8. Pan left from media to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 9. Wide of cabinet STORYLINE Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said that Israel's fight is against Hamas' ideology and not its leaders. Shalom was responding to a question regarding Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal's announcement on Saturday that he would not to seek another term. "Our fight is not against Mashaal or against Haniyeh. It's against the ideology that is trying to destroy the state of Israel", Shalom said ahead of Israel's weekly cabinet meeting. Meanwhile cabinet minister Uzi Landau said that Israel shouldn't involve the United States in the decision on whether or not to attack Iran. "We'll have to take the decision ourselves, if we take it. Above it I guess the issue is not just an Israeli issue; it's foremost an issue of the free world and of the United States.That's why I think we shouldn't involve America in a decision that we're going to take unilaterally, if we'll take it", said Landau. Israel believes Iran is close to completing the technology to produce an atomic weapon. Tehran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Israel has said it prefers employing international diplomacy to solve the problem, but it has not taken the option of a military strike off the table. Addressing cabinet ministers, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has "the right and the duty and the ability to prevent another extermination of the Jewish people and of its state." Last week the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army General Martin Dempsey, conducted an intense string of closed-door talks with Israeli leaders Friday, amid apparent disagreements between the two countries over how to respond to Iran's disputed nuclear program. Dempsey and Israeli leaders kept silent about the exact content of their discussions. Dempsey was expected to urge Israel not to rush to attack Iran at a time when the US is trying to rally additional global support to pressure Tehran through sanctions to dial back its nuclear program. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...