During his visit in France, Netanyahu will also meet with French Jewish community representatives and representatives of the business community who are interested in investing in the State of Israel.
“I am now departing for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. The main topic of our talk will be Iran, of course, and the joint efforts to fight its aggression and its aspiration to obtain nuclear weapons,’’ said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu as he departed Thursday afternoon for a three-visit to Paris.
During the visit, he will also meet with French Jewish community representatives and representatives of the business community in France, who are interested in investing in the State of Israel.
Netanyahu added: ‘’ At the same time, we are continuing to expand the circle of peace. After years of covert meetings and my historic visit to Chad, today was another historic day: Together with the President of Chad, we opened the Chadian Embassy in Israel, and we will continue to expand and deepen the circle of peace with additional countries, both near and far.”
President Macron earlier this week phoned Netanyahu to extend his condolences over the murder of seven people by a Palestinian terrorist on Shabbat. The two leaders also “sharply” condemned Tehran’s involvement in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Netanyahu and Macron have a longstanding relationship, having last met in January 2020 in Jerusalem.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recently said a military option remained on the table to prevent a nuclear Iran.
Asked whether U.S. military exercises with Israel, and with others in the region, are meant to deter Iran, Blinken replied, “All of our military efforts are designed with the idea of deterrence in mind—that is, to try to make sure that a would-be aggressor thinks twice, thinks three times, and then doesn’t do it.”
When deterrence comes up short, it is important to demonstrate that a country can defend itself effectively, he added.