Hollande assures Israel Paris will be tough on Iran

JERUSALEM: French President Francois Hollande assured Israel on Sunday that France would continue to oppose an easing of economic sanctions against Iran until it was convinced Tehran had ended a pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Hollande’s pledge, at the start of a three-day visit to Israel, could help underpin an intensive campaign by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to convince world powers to toughen terms of a proposed nuclear deal with Iran ahead of negotiations reconvening this week in Geneva.
“France will not give way on nuclear proliferation,” Hollande said at a welcoming ceremony at Tel Aviv airport. “So long as we are not certain that Iran has renounced nuclear arms, we will keep in place all our demands and sanctions.”
After Hollande’s state visit, Netanyahu was scheduled to travel to Moscow on Wednesday to see Russian President Vladimir Putin and return to Israel to meet US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday.
Netanyahu has condemned a proposal, to be discussed in a third round of talks between six world powers and Tehran on Nov. 20-23, to ease economic sanctions on Iran if it suspends parts of its nuclear program.
“I hope that we will be able to persuade our friends during this week and in the days that follow to get a much better agreement,” Netanyahu said in public remarks at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting.
At the airport ceremony, attended by Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres, Hollande said France was taking Israel’s concerns into account, adding in Hebrew: “I will always remain a friend of Israel.”
Kerry has caused a stir in Israel by accusing it of over-reacting in its opposition to the proposed deal.
“John Kerry is a old friend of mine and is also a friend of Israel,” Netanyahu said, voicing a more conciliatory tone than at the end of an acrimonious visit by the top US diplomat last week.
“I want to clarify that even among the best of friends there can be disagreements, certainly on matters that concern our future and our destiny,” the Israeli leader said.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
In Washington on Friday, a senior US official said that a deal was “quite possible” at the upcoming talks in Geneva although tough issues remained unresolved.
“For the first time in nearly a decade, we are getting close to a first step ... that would stop the Iranian nuclear program from advancing and roll it back in key areas,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.