German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Wednesday during a visit to Israel that an Iranian nuclear deal could “no longer be postponed” indefinitely, as talks are held in Vienna to save the pact with Tehran.
“Now is the time to make a decision, this cannot be postponed any longer,” Scholz told a press conference in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, whose country strongly opposes to agreement.
“It’s time to say yes to something that represents a good and reasonable solution,” Scholz added, during his first visit to Jerusalem as head of the German government.
At his side, Naftali Bennett said he was following the negotiations that have been taking place for several months in Vienna “with concern”. He believes that an agreement making possible the installation in Iran of centrifuges “on a large scale in the space of a few years” would be “not acceptable” for the Jewish state.
Israel, which considers Tehran and its nuclear program as a threat to its security and that of the Middle East, “will be able to defend itself and ensure its security and its future”, he assured.
It’s time to say yes to something that represents a good and reasonable solution
In recent days, negotiators have reported progress in talks aimed at salvaging the 2015 deal between Iran, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and Germany. .
“Critical emergency”
France said on Monday that there was “a critical urgency to conclude the negotiations this week”.
The challenge is to bring the United States back into the agreement, which withdrew from it in 2018 by reinstating sanctions against Iran. Tehran had in reaction broken its commitments related to its controversial nuclear activities.
The 2015 agreement allowed, until the American withdrawal, the lifting of international economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic. In exchange, the latter had to respect the restrictions linked to its nuclear program, supposed to prevent it from acquiring the atomic bomb, an intention that it has always denied.
Israel is opposed to the agreement, believing that the lifting of the sanctions provided for in the text would allow Iran to arm itself more.
Tehran said on Saturday it was waiting for “political decisions” from the West to conclude the talks, adding that Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine launched on Thursday should not affect the negotiations.
Olaf Scholz’s visit comes as Russian forces continue their offensive in Ukraine, prompting Berlin to suspend the controversial German-Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 and deliver arms to Kiev.
Mr. Scholz assured Tuesday that new sanctions would be taken “for sure against Russia”.
“Very measured policy”
“Under your leadership, Germany today represents a pillar of stability, command and responsibility in Europe,” praised Naftali Bennett in Jerusalem.
Israel has taken a more cautious stance on the conflict, highlighting its good relations with Ukraine and Russia, main breeding grounds for thealiyah, Jewish immigration to Israel. Russia also has troops in Syria, a neighboring country at war.
“We have a very measured and responsible policy, the goal of which is to help the people of Ukraine and to do what we can to alleviate some of the pressures and consequences of this horrible situation,” Bennett said on Wednesday.
Later, he spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the second time since the Russian invasion. They agreed to “maintain ongoing communication,” according to his office.
Bennett also called Russian President Vladimir Putin, who briefed him on developments in Ukraine, according to a Kremlin statement.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office did not comment on the call.
On Wednesday, Israel voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution demanding Moscow’s withdrawal from Ukraine. The Jewish state announced the sending of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but, according to local media, refused to supply weapons to Kiev.
Before leaving Jerusalem, Mr. Scholz met the head of Israeli diplomacy, Yair Lapid, and visited the Israeli Parliament.
Citing the Ukraine crisis, he postponed a planned visit to the occupied West Bank, where he was to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to the German representation in Ramallah.