German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said “Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself” and Germany “cannot” accept a nuclear armed Iran.
Speaking at the World Jewish Congress Plenary Assembly in Budapest on Monday, Westerwelle said that he understood “what security means for Israel,” and having visited Israel as a student in his 20s, he “realized just how small Israel is.”
“While standing on top of Mount Tabor, overlooking the country, I realized just how small Israel is, and I came to understand what security means for Israel.”
Westerwelle said that those who would opine on Israel’s security need to ask themselves: “If 1,500 rockets were fired at you… how would you react?”.
“Security for Israel cannot be taken for granted and Germany stands by its commitment to the security of Israel, and, let me add, Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself,” he said. “We cannot, and we will not, accept an Iranian nuclear weapon.”
A nuclear Iran “is a threat for the stability of the entire region. It could spark a nuclear arms race and it endangers the global nonproliferation regime,” the German minister said, noting that the sanctions put in place by the international community are showing results. “We will not accept talks for the sake of talks,” he said.
He added that “a strong and united stance by the international community is the best way to convince Iran to meet its international obligations.”
"Forcing Iran to forsake its nuclear program, can best be done through negotiations and a strong sanctions regime," the German minister added.