Israel expects UK, France to help hit Iran if Tehran attacks, Katz tells counterparts
English-language Foreign Ministry statement following meeting between top diplomats tones down message from Hebrew version; British foreign secretary: Mideast at ‘dangerous moment’
Israel expects Britain, France and other US allies to join it in taking military action against Iran should the Islamic Republic launch a promised assault on Israel to avenge the killing of Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Friday.Katz made the comments as he met with the British and French foreign ministers making a joint trip to Israel, as international efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza intensified, amid heightened fears in Israel that Iran and Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon could attack Israel in retaliation for last month’s killings of Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.Katz told British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné “that Israel expects France and Britain to publicly clarify to Iran that it is unacceptable for it to attack Israel and that if Iran attacks, the US-led coalition will join Israel not only in defense but also in an attack against significant targets in Iran,” his office said in a Hebrew-language statement after the meeting.“Israel cannot not respond strongly to attacks on it,” he added.An English-language statement from the meeting, which was held in English, sent out by the Foreign Ministry softened Katz’s message and omitted the sentence about needing to retaliate.“I thanked them for their support of Israel and made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and prevent war is by announcing that if Iran attacks, they will stand with Israel not only in defense but also in striking targets in Iran.”Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer reportedly attended the meeting as well.The UK and France were both part of an international coalition that helped defend Israel in mid-April when Iran launched hundreds of missiles into Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that Israel respond with a strike of its own on Iran reportedly led to tensions between Jerusalem and Western capitals, which see the tit-for-tats as liable to snowball into a full-blown conflict.
