David Cameron: Izraelnek joga van megvédeni magát

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on Thursday and the two leaders discussed Islamic radicalism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and opportunities for cooperation between Israel and Britain.

When he greeted Netanyahu outside of his official residence at 10 Downing Street, Cameron reiterated his belief that Israel has the right to defend itself by itself.

Once inside, Netanyahu opened their meeting with three topics he said he hoped to discuss in depth: Security and the threat of radical Islam in the Middle East; peace and his commitment to renewing negotiations with the Palestinians; and cooperation between Britain and Israel on technology and innovation.

„The Middle East is disintegrating under the twin forces of militant Islam — militant Sunnis led by ISIS and militant Shiites led by Iran,” Netanyahu told Cameron.

He added that Britain and Israel can work together „in practical ways to roll back the tide of militant Islam both in the Middle East and in Africa.”

Netanyahu then expanded on his pledge for peace, telling Cameron, „I want to say here, at 10 Downing, that I am ready to resume direct negotiations with the Palestinians with no conditions whatsoever to entering negotiations, and I am willing to do it immediately.”

The meeting was part of a two-day visit, during which Netanyahu also met with leaders of the British Jewish community, where the Iran nuclear deal surfaced as a major topic of conversation.

Upon landing in the United Kingdom on Wednesday with his wife, Sara, Netanyahu addressed recent inflammatory remarks made by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [ADD LINK: www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=28175], saying, „Khamenei is not giving supporters of the [nuclear] agreement any room for illusion. He has made it clear that the U.S. is the Great Satan and that Iran intends to destroy the State of Israel.

„This will not happen. Israel is a strong country and it will become even stronger. However, the conclusion that arises from the remarks of the tyrant in Tehran is that all responsible countries must cooperate in order to stop Iran’s terrorism and aggression which, to my regret, will only increase as a result of the agreement,” he went on to say, referring to the nuclear agreement signed between Tehran and world powers in mid-July.

In a meeting with British journalists and Jewish community representatives, Netanyahu warned that the Iranian nuclear deal would legitimize Iran’s efforts to create hundreds of nuclear bombs. He added that while Iran publicly threatens to destroy Israel, it is constantly working on its long-range capabilities, and could easily aim its missiles at Europe too.

Netanyahu stressed the importance of European support for Israel, adding that Israel is Europe’s only Middle Eastern partner capable of defending against radical Islamism.

One member of Netanyahu’s delegation said, „Claims that strong opposition to the Iran deal will destroy [Israel’s] relationship with the United States in general, and with the Democrats in particular, have been completely refuted.

„Even those who support the deal stress the importance and depth of the relationship with Israel and the need to strengthen it after the deal,” he said.

The official also recalled Hillary Rodham Clinton’s pledge that if elected, the first thing she would do would be to invite Netanyahu to the White House.

Also during the visit, upon landing in London, Netanyahu’s entire delegation, apart from himself and his wife, were asked to disembark from the plane’s rear entrance and to present their passports to British security officials. The unprecedented procedure prompted concerns over the possibility that it was related to efforts to have Israeli leaders tried in Europe for war crimes allegations, but it ended without incident.

Still, Netanyahu faced public demonstrations during his visit, with some 300 people waving anti-Israel placards outside Cameron’s Downing Street residence. Minor scuffles with police broke out as protesters surged into the main road area.

More than 100,000 people in Britain have also signed a petition calling for Netanyahu to be arrested for war crimes over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza last year.

Nineteen-year-old Palestinian-born British citizen Sara Elkateep had come to protest against the Israeli prime minister.

„I’ve come here to make sure that Netanyahu knows he’s unwelcome and that we are very unhappy with the fact that our prime minister is dealing with such a terrorist country that constantly bombs Gaza and the West Bank, constantly builds settlements on Palestinian land,” she said.

A short distance away in a separate cordoned off area, dozens of pro-Israel demonstrators waved Israeli flags and chanted in support of the Jewish state.

Arieh Miller, the executive director of the Zionist Federation, who helped to organize the counterdemonstration accused the pro-Palestinian protesters of anti-Semitism.

„If I disagree with Prime Minister Cameron, that doesn’t make me anti-British. That’s me having a political view. Disagreeing with Netanyahu — there is nothing wrong with that at all, but disagreeing with the simple existence of the only Jewish state in the world — that is where I draw the line,” he said.

Another protester, Barbara Pearce from north London, asked why the protesters were targeting Netanyahu and not Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

Britain says visiting heads of state have immunity from legal process and thus Netanyahu cannot be arrested.

In a statement, the government said on Tuesday, „We recognize that the conflict in Gaza last year took a terrible toll.

„However the prime minister was clear on the U.K.’s recognition of Israel’s right to take proportionate action to defend itself, within the boundaries of international humanitarian law.”