PARIS — French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday said he wanted “concrete acts” from Iran to prove it was not pursuing nuclear arms, after his first direct meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Addressing a press conference with Netanyahu, whose aim during the two-day visit is to press for more pressure on Tehran, Hollande warned that Paris would back “other sanctions” if Tehran failed to convince on its contested nuclear programme.
“This is a threat which cannot be accepted by France,” Hollande said.
“We have voted for many sanctions and are ready to vote others as long as necessary,” the French leader said, underscoring that he wanted “proof that Iran has abandoned this drive”.
Iran denies Israeli and Western suspicions that its nuclear programme is a front for a drive for a weapons capability.
Netanyahu hailed the “extremely important position” taken by Hollande.
Netanyahu has warned that a nuclear Iran would pose an existential threat to Israel and has repeatedly refused to rule out military action, fuelling speculation that an attack was imminent.
But he then appeared to pull back, pushing the deadline until spring or even summer 2013, ostensibly to allow time for international sanctions to work.
The pugnacious Israeli leader said in an interview Wednesday that the Arab world would be relieved if Israel struck at Iranian nuclear facilities.
He said in case of an attack, “five minutes later, contrary to what sceptics think, I believe there will be a great feeling of relief throughout the region”.
“Iran is not popular in the Arab world, far from it,” he said in comments reported in French in France’s Paris-Match weekly.
“And some neighbouring regimes and their citizens have well understood that a nuclear-armed Iran is a danger for them, not only for Israel,” he said, without mentioning specific nations.
Hollande, meanwhile, urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks without any conditions, while criticising continued Israeli occupation.
“Only negotiations can lead to a definitive solution,” he said. “These negotiations are hoped for and awaited.”
http://jordantimes.com/hollande-issues-warning-to-iran-after-meeting-israeli-pm
NOTE BY THE EDITOR: Would France not better try to solve their internal problems, rather than waste time and energy and money in war-mongering?
Unfortunately Mr. Netanyahu may be correct that several Arab Nations (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE among them) secretly encourage him to attack Iran. The blame for the consequences therefore will need to be shared among them also. May Allah protect us from these foolish politicians. (Even the retired Israeli Military Chief thinks such an attack on Iran is ‘counter-productive’).