Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer said 2014 will be remembered as the year that the U.S. "surrendered" on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Reflecting on Benjamin Netanyahu's speech before the UN General Assembly on Monday, Krauthammer said the Obama administration's weakness in its nuclear negotiations with Iran will put the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the Israeli Prime Minister.
"[Obama] weakened the sanctions even before this round of negotiations," Krauthammer said.
"So he weakens his hand. When sanctions were the only thing that went around the table in the first place."
Krauthammer said if negotiations do not succeed and Israel has the capacity to set the Iranian nuclear program back another two to three years, Netanyahu will act on his promise to take military action to do so.
"The only thing that would prevent Netanyahu from attacking--this is a man who knows the weight of history is on his shoulders and he's aware that Jewish history relies on his making the right decision--the only thing that will restrain them is if they think they do not have the capacity," Krauthammer said.
"I think Israel can do it. I think the assumption is it can do it, but if it doesn't attack, it will be for one reason only: they thought they couldn't do it."