Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday at the start of a Likud faction meeting that he intends to leave this weekend for a series of meetings with European leaders.
"Next week I will go to Europe, and I will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with French President Emmanuel Macron, and possibly with [British] Prime Minister Theresa May," Netanyahu said.
"I will discuss with them the containment of Iran's nuclear ambitions and the curbing of Iran's expansion in the Middle East, and I will present our positions in the clearest possible way. We have experience in these matters. There were years when we stood alone against these two threats and I think that the situation has changed for the better. Of course I will present the things that are essential to Israel's security," the prime minister explained.
"We believe that there is no room for any Iranian military presence in any part of Syria, and of course this reflects not only our position. I can safely say that they also reflect the positions of others in the Middle East and outside the Middle East," he said.
The prime minister was apparently referring to the statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggesting the Putin government is prepared to back Israeli demands that Iranian and Iranian-backed forces be kept away from the Israeli frontier.
“Of course, the withdrawal of all non-Syrian forces must be carried out on a mutual basis, this should be a two-way street,” Lavrov added.
“The result of this work which should continue and is continuing should be a situation when representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic’s army stand at Syria’s border with Israel.”
Netanyahu said that his visit to France would include a festive element as well."In France I will also represent Israel at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the extensive cultural relations between Israel and France. There is much to celebrate."