Netanyahu: Iran Seeks to Destroy Israel by Strengthening Military Power in Syria

Benjamin Netanyahu, who traveled to France, accused Iran on Sunday, December 10, of seeking war with Israel and the destruction of the country by establishing ground, air, and naval bases in Syria. The Israeli Prime Minister made these remarks after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Mr. Netanyahu called Iran a 'source of aggression in the Middle East' and stated that they agreed on the need to prevent Iran from continuing this behavior. According to him, 'Iran is present everywhere; in Iraq, in Syria, in Lebanon, as well as in Yemen and Gaza.' The Israeli Prime Minister added, 'Iran wants to do two new things; to strengthen its military power by establishing ground, air, and naval bases in Syria to fight Israel and destroy this country; but we will not tolerate this situation; we do not just talk; our words have practical guarantees; we will also not allow Iran to deliver precision weapons to Lebanon.' While Israel welcomed Donald Trump's decision two months ago not to certify the JCPOA, France was a strong critic of this action by the U.S. However, like Israel, France wants to bring Iran to negotiate over its missile plans. The French President also called for the dissolution of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Iraqi forces allied with Iran. On the other hand, France has a strong desire to maintain and develop its economic agreements with Iran; Israel is displeased with this program of European countries. According to Israeli media, Mr. Netanyahu acknowledged at the end of his Sunday meeting at the Élysée that he and the French President 'do not agree on all matters; but they are working on it, and the only issue is time.' The meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister and the French President took place under the heavy shadow of the change in U.S. policy regarding Jerusalem. Emmanuel Macron is the first world leader to meet with Mr. Netanyahu after Donald Trump's speech recognizing Jerusalem as 'the capital of Israel' and his order to begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv. The Paris government has harshly criticized the U.S. President's decision in recent days. Mr. Macron attempted to dissuade Trump from this decision in a phone conversation the day before the announcement. The French President also said at the beginning of his meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister that the U.S. President's decision regarding Jerusalem has 'put peace at risk.' However, the Israeli Prime Minister responded to Mr. Macron by saying, 'We respect the history of France and expect other countries to respect our history.' Mr. Netanyahu added, 'Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, just as Paris is the capital of France.' According to Israeli media reports, Netanyahu had previously planned to emphasize his opposition to 'the consolidation of Iran's military presence in Syria' and the need for France to continue its efforts to 'correct' the JCPOA, the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, during his second meeting with Emmanuel Macron in six months. Reports indicate that last month, following the sudden 'resignation' of Saad Hariri, the Lebanese Prime Minister, during his trip to Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu sought to meet with the French President and attend the meeting of EU foreign ministers to explain his views on the 'dangers' of Iran's regional policies to European officials. Meanwhile, Mr. Macron warmly welcomed Netanyahu at the foot of the Élysée stairs at the beginning of their meeting and emphasized France's support for Israel's security and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in the final statement of the meeting, stating that France condemns any terrorist attack or other aggression against our friend, Israel. According to Reuters, hundreds of Palestinian activist demonstrators criticized Emmanuel Macron for hosting the Israeli Prime Minister in a protest in Paris last Saturday night. France has always supported the Palestinian cause and in 2014, the French National Assembly passed a resolution to recognize the independence of the State of Palestine; however, the government of former President François Hollande and current President Emmanuel Macron has not implemented it. In the final meeting with Mr. Macron, Benjamin Netanyahu also responded to the harsh remarks made a few hours earlier by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who called Israel a 'terrorist state' and 'child killer.' The Israeli Prime Minister said that someone who bombs Kurdish villages and helps Iran evade international sanctions and supports Gaza terrorists should not lecture us on morality. He also previously stated regarding his attendance at the EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday that Europe is being 'hypocritical' about Israel and he will tell Europe the 'truth' about Jerusalem and Europe has no right to lecture Israel on 'morality.' Netanyahu's presence in Brussels is expected to face protests from Palestinian supporters.