Ramon calls on Germany to sever ties with Iran
'We expect the international community, and Germany in particular, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons of mass destruction,' vice premier tells German Parliament members in Jerusalem
“Establishing ties with Iran is an immoral act," Vice Premier Haim Ramon said Monday during a meeting with German Parliament members in Jerusalem.
“It is not only an inter-governmental matter. I expect German society to sever all of its ties, commercial and otherwise, with Iran,” he said, adding that any country that calls for the destruction of Israel and attempts to arm itself with atomic weapons poses "a great strategic threat to Israel."
"We expect the international community, and Germany in particular, to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons of mass destruction," the vice premier stated.
Earlier on Monday cabinet held a special session in honor of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "This is an unusual, landmark event in the history of Israeli-German relations," said Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the beginning of the meeting, which took place after the German mission visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.
"This is the first time the Israel government is sitting across from the German chancellor and the senior members of the German government… this reflects the two's desire to maintain an unusual relationship," noted Olmert.
Merkel, for her part said she believed the Iran must exercise transparency, adding that the international community must "continue pressuring it to do so."
Germany, along with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Japan, China, France, Russia, Britain and the US, was the driving force behind the third round of sanctions imposed on the Iran over its defiant nuclear program. The Islamic Republic claims it is pursuing nuclear capabilities for civilian purposes only.
Israel estimates that the existing sanctions won't bring an end to Iran's pursuit of nuclear arms, and the government has vowed to continue working toward the imposition of additional economic sanctions by the West separate from those endorsed by the Security Council.
