British foreign secretary discusses Iran and two-state solution during Israel visit
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Monday during his first official visit to the Jewish state.
Ahead of his trip, Cleverly stressed his visit to Israel "will be an opportunity to reaffirm our security partnership in the face of the ongoing threats from the Iranian regime."
The Iranian ayatollah regime openly calls for Israel’s destruction and has invested considerable resources in building a vast terrorist network across the Middle East.
Tehran appears to be dangerously close to developing nuclear weapons.
During his meeting with Cleverly, Netanyahu emphasized the importance of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Great Britain and the United States have also expressed concerns about Iran providing Russia with drones that are currently being used in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
During his first official visit to Jerusalem, Cleverly paid respects to the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust by visiting the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Center, where he laid a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance.
The British foreign secretary also stressed the need for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
"A two-state solution between Israel and the occupied territories is the only way to achieve security, stability, and prosperity for Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region. I emphasize that all sides must take steps to advance this goal," Cleverly said.
He also met with his Israeli counterpart Cohen who stressed the importance of British-Israel bilateral relations.
"Britain is our largest trading partner in Europe. I asked my friend, Foreign Secretary Cleverly, to work towards advancing a free trade agreement between our countries for the benefit of both nations' prosperity," Cohen said.
After his top-level meetings in Jerusalem, Cleverly will also meet Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh in Ramallah.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
