BEIT-UL-MOQADDAS (AFP) -- Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz called Thursday for Mohamed ElBaradei to be removed as head of the UN nuclear watchdog, claiming he had turned a blind eye to Iran's nuclear program.

The call for ElBaradei's dismissal comes just days before the International Atomic Energy Agency is due to publish a new report on Iran's nuclear program, to serve as a key part of further discussions at the United Nations on whether to impose a third set of sanctions on Tehran.
""The policies followed by ElBaradei endanger world peace. His irresponsible attitude of sticking his head in the sand over Iran's nuclear program should lead to his impeachment,"" Mofaz told public radio from Washington.
Mofaz, who heads ""the strategic dialogue"" between Israel and its main ally the United States, held talks on Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
ElBaradei raised the ire of many Israeli officials after telling France's Le Monde newspaper that Iran would need ""between three and eight years"" even if it wanted to develop a nuclear bomb.
""I want to get people away from the idea that Iran represents a clear and present danger and that we're now facing the decision whether to bombard Iran or let them have the bomb. We're not in that situation at all,"" the Egyptian UN nuclear chief said.
Israel, which belongs to the UN nuclear watchdog but is not a signatory to its key Non-Proliferation Treaty, is widely considered to have the Middle East's sole -- if undeclared -- nuclear arsenal.