Netanyahu to discuss regional threats with May, then Trump

PM flies to London on Sunday, then DC the following week.

By HERB KEINON
Benjamin Netanyahu at the conference of Israel ambassadors and heads of missions in Europe in the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem (photo credit: AMOS BEN GERSHOM, GPO)
Benjamin Netanyahu at the conference of Israel ambassadors and heads of missions in Europe in the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem
(photo credit: AMOS BEN GERSHOM, GPO)
With President Donald Trump signaling a more muscular US policy toward Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he will discuss the need for different approaches to regional threats when he meets next week with British Prime Minister Theresa May, and with Trump the week after.
Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to London on Sunday and will meet with May the next day, the first meeting between the two since May became prime minister in July.
Government officials indicated that this meeting, which will take place a little more than a week before Netanyahu goes to Washington to meet with Trump, is part of an effort to revive a triangular Israeli, British, US axis that existed to a certain degree in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan was president of the United States and Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of Britain.
Netanyahu mentioned these upcoming visits at a memorial ceremony in Ariel for Likud MK Ron Nachman, saying that while he is always careful not to overuse the word “historic,” his meeting with Trump has “a great deal of importance” for Israel and the Jewish people.
The prime minister made mention of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s comments on Wednesday that the US was putting Iran “on notice” and that its provocations, like Sunday’s test of a ballistic missile, would not be ignored. Flynn’s comments were followed by a tweet from Trump, saying, “Iran has been formally PUT ON NOTICE for firing a ballistic missile. Should have been thankful for the terrible deal the US made with them.”
Netanyahu, who posted a video warning of Iranian threats in an attempt to put Iran squarely back on the agenda the night after Trump took office, said that Flynn’s comments about the need to stand up to Iran’s aggression were similar to what he heard from Trump in their telephone conversation two weeks ago, and during their meeting in New York in September.
Regarding May, Netanyahu said that he will discuss with her “the changing reality in our region, and the need to adopt new, common approaches to face the big challenges in our region, first and foremost the threat from Iran.”