PARIS — Standing next to French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Prime Minister Yair Lapid urged the world to respond to Iran’s violations of the 2015 nuclear deal and warned Israel not to let Hezbollah’s attacks go unanswered.
“Hezbollah has more than 100,000 rockets in Lebanon aimed at Israel,” Lapid said in English. “It is trying to attack us with Iranian missiles and UAVs.”
“Israel will not sit by and do nothing in the face of these repeated attacks,” Lapid promised.
Days after Israel intercepted Hezbollah UAVs targeting gas platforms off its coast, Lapid called Hezbollah “a terrorist organization that threatens Lebanon’s stability, violates its sovereignty, pushes it toward a dangerous escalation with Israel and harms Lebanon’s national interests.”
Addressing renewed talks on Iran’s nuclear program, Lapid said Israel and France may have disagreements over a potential deal, “but we disagree on the facts.”
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“The facts are that Iran is violating the agreement and continues to develop its nuclear program,” Lapid said. “Iran is hiding information from the world, is enriching uranium beyond the level it is allowed to, and has removed cameras from its nuclear sites.”
Prime Minister Yair Lapid (R) hugs French President Emmanuel Macron at a press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 5, 2022. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
“Given all this, the world must respond,” Lapid stressed.
Lapid referred to a 2018 speech by Macron in which the French leader spoke of the need for a new deal with Iran shortly before the Trump administration withdrew from the JCPOA. The prime minister called for “a deal that is more effective and better defined, a deal without an expiration date, a deal with coordinated international pressure that would prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear threshold state.”
As he often does when speaking to European leaders, Lapid emphasized the values that France and Israel share, saying both countries have a common understanding “that values are worth fighting for.”
“In the past year, with the war in Ukraine and terrorism from Iran, we are reminded that not only does democracy protect us, but we must also protect democracy,” Lapid said. “Sometimes there is no choice but to use the power of war to protect peace.”
Lapid arrived at the palace mid-afternoon on Tuesday, where he was greeted with a warm hug by Macron. The two centrist leaders talk regularly on WhatsApp and have been friends for several years. After their public remarks, Lapid and Macron had to sit down for a closed-door meeting.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (left) talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on November 30, 2021 (MFA/Quentin Crestinu)
Despite the enthusiastic welcome, deep political disagreements were evident in the leaders’ public statements.
Macron called the JCPOA nuclear deal a “good agreement” that must be protected. He also spoke at length about the importance of reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians, saying Lapid could be a “historic figure” that ends the conflict.
Macron, speaking in French, called for a deal that recognized the “legitimate aspirations” of the Palestinians and stressed that “there is no alternative to a return to political dialogue.”
Macron also voiced France’s displeasure with Iran, highlighting the threat posed by the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile program and its destabilizing activities in the region, saying French and European security were at risk.
Before leaving for Paris on Tuesday morning, Lapid stressed to Israeli reporters that Iran would be the most pressing issue for discussion.
“It is important that our opinion against this dangerous agreement and against Iran’s organization and nuclear weapons is heard at this time,” Lapid said at the airport. “It is also important for the international community to know that on the Iranian nuclear issue, Israeli society stands together – as one body, with one position, presenting a unified position to the international community.”
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