Netanyahu Implores France: Help Roll Back Iranian Aggresion

Jerusalem, 26 March, 2018 (TPS) -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that Israel grieves the loss of French lives during the latest terror attack in the country, and called on Paris and the international community to stand united against Iran, which Netanyahu called the “foremost terrorist-sponsoring regime in the world.”

“We saw the horrible tragedy in Toulouse (when three people were shot dead in a supermarket by a man claiming allegiance to ISIS being killed by police), and the people of Israel stand with you

We have to stand together against this terrorism that afflicts our world. We have to fight terrorists wherever they are. And we have to fight terror-sponsoring regimes wherever they are,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister asked France to help “roll back (Iran’s) aggression” and to help ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons.

“I think this is the preeminent issue facing the international community in the coming months, in the coming years,” Netanyahu said.

Both leaders spoke about the “special relationship” between Israel and France, with French Foreign Minister Le Drian citing a series of bilateral top-level visits between the countries, and a series of more than 200 cultural events this summer, to be held in both Israel and France, beginning at the end of May.

Le Drian said that Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and President Emmanuel Macron are due to visit Israel, followed by Netanyahu and President Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, who will visit France this year.

“The bond (between Israel and France) is tightening. This is a sign that the friendship is very deep and strong and we have much in common. We fight the same fights against terrorism, anti-Semitism and – of course – for the security of the entire region.

“I had a very moving and difficult moment when I had just concluded my visit to Yad Vashem. I heard about the outrageous murder of Mirelle Kanolin – a Holocaust survivor – in Paris. We cannot yet say if the motive for the murder was anti-Semitism but it is reasonable to assume, it will not be surprising and, therefore, this only strengthens the fact that this struggle has not ended, and that we will need to continue fighting against anti-Semitism.

“We will discuss all of these issues in the same atmosphere of mutual confidence and the friendship that prevails between us. We can discuss all of this and I am very pleased to be here,” Le Drian said.