ISRAEL MAKES OWN DECISIONS ON IRAN - NETANYAHU TO UK

 

Benjamin Netanyahu has told UK Foreign Secretary, David Cameron that Israel would “make its own decisions” over how to respond to an Iranian attack.

He said his government would “do everything necessary to defend itself” during talks the British government had hoped would help prevent escalation.

Cameron told him any response should be “smart and limited". 

Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem after the meeting with Netanyahu, Cameron said he was there to “demonstrate our solidarity” after Iran’s “appalling” attack.

He said, “We hope that anything Israel does is as limited and as targeted and as smart as possible.

“It’s in no-one’s interest that we see escalation and that is what we said very clearly to all the people I’ve been speaking to here in Israel.”

After the meeting, the Israeli prime minister said: “I want to make it clear – we will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to retaliate to the unprecedented missile and drone assault at the weekend.

His remarks will reinforce the belief in Western capitals that Israel is set to take action against Iran and there is a limit to how often they can call for restraint.

Cameron is one of several Western foreign ministers who are expected to visit Israel in the coming days as part of a diplomatic drive to prevent that from happening.

Before meeting Netanyahu, Lord Cameron held talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz.

The UK foreign secretary also plans to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories to meet Mohammad Mustafa, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority.

G7 ministers are gathering in Italy, where Cameron will push for co-ordinated sanctions on Iran.