The Israeli FM has urged British and French counterparts to “publicly clarify” their commitment
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy (L) and French FM Stephane Sejourne (R) are welcomed by Israeli FM Israel Katz in Jerusalem on August 16, 2024 © AP / Ohad Zwigenberg
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said his country expects not only the United States but also its allies, including Britain and France, to assist in offensive operations against Iran in the event of a direct conflict.
Katz made the comments during a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourne in Jerusalem on Friday, according to a Hebrew-language statement from his office.
”Israel expects France and Britain to publicly clarify to Iran that it is unacceptable for it to attack Israel, and that if Iran attacks, the US-led coalition will join Israel not only in defense but also in an attack against significant targets in Iran,” the statement said, as cited by the Times of Israel.
Katz reiterated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he made it “clear” to his colleagues that they should publicly declare that their countries “will stand with Israel not only in defense but also in striking targets in Iran.”
I hosted my colleagues, the French FM @steph_sejourne and the British Foreign secretary @DavidLammy, in Jerusalem today for an urgent visit amidst Iran's threats to attack Israel.I thanked them for their support of Israel and made it clear that the right way to deter Iran and… pic.twitter.com/2bDs1B8LRU
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) August 16, 2024
The French and British diplomats downplayed these assertions, with Sejourne telling reporters that it would be “inappropriate” to discuss any “retaliation or preparation for an Israeli retaliation” amid diplomatic efforts to negotiate a deal to end the Gaza war. A joint French-British statement following the meeting also made no mention of any anti-Iran coalitions.
“We have urged Iran and its proxies to stand down the ongoing threats of military attack against Israel. We have also stressed to all parties that the spiral of escalating reprisals must end,” they said in their only reference to Tehran.
The meeting in Jerusalem occurred shortly before the latest round of indirect ceasefire talks ended without breakthroughs, although there were promises to return to the negotiating table next week.
The war between Israel and Hamas has raged for 10 months since the militant group staged a deadly incursion, resulting in approximately 1,100 deaths and around 200 hostages. The large-scale Israeli ground and air response has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza health officials.
The risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East was exacerbated by the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, who served as the Palestinian armed group’s lead negotiator in indirect talks with Israel. He was killed in Tehran on June 31, hours after attending the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian as Iran’s president. Iran promised to inflict a “harsh punishment” on Israel, which has neither acknowledged nor denied any involvement in the killing.
The US has deployed additional warships and a submarine to the Middle East to protect the Jewish state from potential attacks, but it remains unclear whether Washington supports any plans to bomb Iran.
In April, when Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel in retaliation for the bombing of its embassy in Damascus, US fighter jets and warships helped intercept many of the incoming projectiles. However, this was a purely defensive operation, with no direct counterstrike on targets inside Iran.