Olmert says Iran requires cool head

PETAH TIKVA, Israel, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says Iran poses a serious threat, but it needs to be addressed with a cool head.

Olmert's remarks in the Jerusalem Post contrast with those of new Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh.

Sneh said Iran's nuclear ambitions must be stopped "at all costs," the newspaper reported Friday. He said he wants "fewer declarations and more deeds."

Sneh said Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could "kill the Zionist dream without pushing a button." He said the Iranian nuclear program causes Israel to live under a "dark cloud of fear from a leader committed to its destruction." This causes people to be afraid to live in Israel, he added.

The newspaper reported during a meeting in Petah Tikva, Olmert expressed caution about creating public panic. "We have to handle the issue with cool-headedness and wisdom."

Sneh said he doesn't believe international sanctions against Iran will succeed. He said improving Israel's defenses is a high priority.