Israeli foreign minister in Berlin pushes arms embargo on Iran

Aug 28, 2020

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi can certainly pat himself on the back for another diplomatic achievement. His German counterpart, Heiko Maas, agreed with him that an effort must be made to extend the United Nations arms embargo on Iran. Speaking with journalists Aug. 27, Ashkenazi said that an extension was needed to prevent Iran from getting “more advanced weapons systems and spreading them around the Middle East.” He added, “We would like to see the European countries, not just Germany, preventing it. It’s not helpful for the stability of the region.”

Echoing Ashkenazi, Maas said, “We are trying to reach a diplomatic solution so that there will be an arms embargo on Iran in the future.” Maas also said that concerns outside the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — such as the Iranian ballistic missile program and Iranian growing involvement in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq — need to be addressed. “Iran must change its approach in the region, we are not naive about Iran. We know that Iran plays a dangerous role,” Maas noted.

Of course, this does not mean that Berlin now toes in line with Washington on the snapback measures or that Berlin changed its stance on the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. Maas was clear about that. For Germany, the JCPOA remains the best deal to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. “We want to preserve the JCPOA to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” he said. Still, the understanding between the two ministers offers Jerusalem something to work with, ahead of Oct. 18, when the UN arms embargo on Iran expires.

Ashkenazi met with Maas during a two-day visit to Berlin, on the occasion of the informal European Union foreign ministers meeting. With Germany taking over the EU presidency for the coming six months, Maas played the host. It was a particularly convenient set-up for Ashkenazi’s first formal meeting with the 27 European counterparts. “I just finished a visit that was both important and significant for Israel’s foreign policy and our connection to the European Union, and would like to thank my friend, German FM @HeikoMaas for hosting me,” Ashkenazi tweeted.

Ashkenazi’s first meeting with the ensemble of EU ministers took place on the backdrop of the recently achieved normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which was hailed by the EU. The Israeli foreign minister received a warm welcome in Berlin. Ashkenazi himself noted, “The agreement with the UAE was received with great enthusiasm by all EU foreign ministers.”

Since the Aug. 13 normalization agreement, Ashkenazi has been operating in the shadow of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen, who had concluded the deal without involving the Foreign Ministry. But the meetings in Berlin indicate that Ashkenazi has identified a niche where he can operate and shine.

In recent years, Netanyahu lashed out at Europe again and again, preferring to cultivate ties with euroskeptic/nationalist leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban or Italian Sen. Matteo Salvini. The Brussels scene of the EU — and even ties with central EU members — have been neglected by Netanyahu. With his military background and his fresh political approach, Brussels seems ready to welcome Ashkenazi with open arms. Ashkenazi is counting on that to take over the Iranian file.