Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that Israel cannot afford to be “duped by Iranian tricks” and that he had little confidence that negotiations between Iran and world powers would succeed

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that Israel cannot afford to be “duped by Iranian tricks” and that he had little confidence that negotiations between Iran and world powers would succeed.

At a meeting of the Foreign Press Association in occupied Jerusalem, Barak told journalists: "Today sanctions are stronger than ever. They've forced the Iranians to take note, to sit down and to talk".

However, despite any tactical progress, Barak said that he was not filled "with confidence. I may sound pessimistic but the state of Israel cannot afford to be duped."

"They say a pessimist is merely an optimist with experience," he quipped.

Barak also, for the first time, addressed criticism last weekend from former Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin.

The defense minister implied that Diskin and other politicians who criticized him were sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring, as he perceives, “the cold truth of the danger that Iran poses.”

Barak urged Egyptian officials to "contain anarchy in the Sinai Peninsula" if they want to maintain ‘peace’ with the Zionist entity.

"We call on Egyptians to contain anarchy in the Sinai Peninsula, it is essential to maintain our two countries firmly on the path of peace," Barak said during a press conference before the foreign media in Jerusalem. "Israel, Egypt and Jordan have tasted the fruits of peace and even in these uncertain times, the communication channels between the two countries remain both open and effective," Barak added.