Steinitz to Canadian PM: Use your influence on West to stop Iran's nuclear program
Intelligence minister also met with Canadian Foreign Minister Baird and plans to meet with American officials later in the week.
By JPOST.COM STAFFSteinitz and Canadian FM(photo credit: Courtesy Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz urged Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to exercise his influence on ally governments with regard to lifting sanctions on Iran before their nuclear program is completely nullified.“Canada is very influential and can exercise its influence elsewhere – in Europe, in China, in America, in Russia, and elsewhere. It’s very important," he told Canadian daily Globe and Mail in an interview published on Sunday. During a trip to North American where he is scheduled to meet with Canadian and American officials, Steinitz also told Harper that Iran's uranium enrichment capability must cease, and that pressure is the only way to achieve that."The world should tell them, enough is enough. … If you decide to proceed with your military nuclear project, you will destroy the Iranian economy, and maybe expose yourselves to military attack,” he was reported as saying.“The greater the pressure, the greater the chances for diplomacy to succeed,” Steinitz reportedly said. “This is the main working tool. Actually the only tool.”He also told the Canadian newspaper that Israel is a “democratic, reliable, trustable state” and it’s “Iran that is threatening Israel’s existence, and not vice versa.”Steinitz added that Iran is attempting to save their economy as well as their nuclear project, regardless of pressure, and Western governments should not allow this."There is no third way. Nothing in between. No place to maneuver.”Steinitz also met with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird who has made several trips to Israel in the past.He is scheduled to meet with American officials beginning on Tuesday.
