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Israel fears that the Islamic State crisis is blinding Western leaders to the equally dangerous Iranian nuclear threat. Netanyahu will meet with Obama on Oct. 1.
British Prime Minister David Cameron met with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York last week to discuss the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) crisis – both are attending the 69th United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, left for Washington Sunday morning to meet with President Obama to try and prevent a deal between Iran and the West that would allow the Islamic Republic to continue its nuclear program.
First Face-to Face Meeting between British and Iranian Leaders since 1979
The meeting between Cameron and Rouhani seems to be a turning point. Cameron is the first British premier to hold bilateral talks with an Iranian president since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
After the meeting, Rouhani tweeted:
“1 hour of constructive & pragmatic dialogue, new outlook #UNGA,” read his message on the Cameron meeting.
“The meeting, a significant thaw in diplomatic relations between the countries, is designed to explore the support the Iranians can give to the fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,” The Guardian states.
According to sources quoted by the newspaper, Cameron explained:
“We are under no illusion about the dangers of Iran’s nuclear program and our approach on that is not changing. However, if Iran is willing to join the international community to defeat ISIS, then we will work with them on that but will be clear [that] you cannot take one approach in Baghdad and another in Damascus. You need a political solution in both if you are serious about defeating ISIS.”
The Six Global powers are negotiating with Iran for an agreement on its nuclear policy. French President Francois Hollande also met with Rouhani last week, after which Hollande’s office stated:
“The president hopes the negotiations can end quickly.”
Iran and Islamic State Equally Dangerous
Obama likely will not be meeting with Rouhani in person, reports indicate.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, is scheduled to meet with Obama on October 1 to discuss pressing issues, most notably Iran’s nuclear agenda. The Israeli leader has been critical of the interim agreement between Iran and the West, and a permanent agreement is now being negotiated.
With the current threat to global security posed by the Islamic State, including the public beheadings and other barbaric acts of terror, several world powers have indicated a willingness to cooperate with Iran in this struggle. The Israeli leadership has been warning repeatedly that Iran poses an equal danger to world security.
Discussing regional developments recently, Netanyahu said that ISIS and Iran were “two sides of the same coin.”
“ISIS and Hamas and al-Qaeda and al-Nusra and Boko Haram and Hezbollah, supported by Iran – they’re branches of the same poisonous tree. It’s the same ideology with minor nuances,” Netanyahu declared.
Other issues on the agenda for the UN General Assembly, besides the Islamic State terror, include the outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease and the instability in the Ukraine.
Author: United with Israel Staff
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