Israel must be prepared to face Iran, even without the world’s help, Knesset
Speaker Reuven Rivlin told his German counterpart, Bundesrat President and
Bavarian Minister-President Horst Seehofer, in the Knesset on
Tuesday.
“The Israeli government is not trying to be overly insistent or
aggressive,” Rivlin explained.
“Recent developments teach us that the
prime minister must be prepared for a situation in which the international
community will stand aside and do nothing, while Israel – and the whole world –
is threatened.”
The Knesset speaker said past experience shows that
Israel must take its own fate in its hands and not trust others to do
so.
“It seems that when the nations of the free world say Iran may not
develop nuclear weapons, it is only lip service,” Rivlin added. “The struggle
must be more steadfast and unambiguous. History cannot show that, yet again, the
world is hesitating.”
Rivlin also criticized Germany for passing a law
requiring agricultural products from settlements to be labeled as such, saying
that it will harm both Israelis and Palestinians, because many Palestinians work
in Israeli farms in the Jordan Valley and Judea and Samaria.
“This move
will worsen the economic crisis in the Palestinian Authority, and every step in
this direction keeps the two sides away from negotiations,” he said, calling for
the German government to cancel the labels.
Seehofer responded by
praising Israel and Germany’s relationship, saying the two countries are “very
friendly.”
“We support Israel’s hope for peace and life in secure
borders, and we will continue to support the strengthening of the State of
Israel’s security,” Seehofer told Rivlin.