BICOM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement with Iran must be changed.

Attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Netanyahu told Merkel that a nuclear Iran is currently “assured by the agreement as it stands” and stressed his belief that “the only existing option at the moment is to put in real – not cosmetic – changes”.

According to Netanyahu, Merkel “said that she understands our concerns regarding the nuclear agreement even though she does not necessarily agree with the way in which we want to deal with it”.

German diplomatic sources clarified that “She understands Israel’s general concerns regarding Iran,” referring to Iran’s ballistic missiles program but Germany stands fully behind the nuclear deal.

The Israeli Prime Minister also met Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and Swiss President Alain Berset. He is due to meet US President Donald Trump today.

Netanyahu told world leaders at the conference that he wanted to “advance Israel’s status as a global technological superpower”. Netanyahu also said that Israel will not compromise Israel’s security needs in any future settlement with the Palestinians. Netanyahu discussed the possibility of relocating African migrants in Israel with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, with the pair agreeing on a process that fully complies with international law.

Also at Davos, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir was asked about the peace process between Israel and Palestinians.“We must wait for the American initiative. If it will have components that both parties can accept, it will be possible to renew negotiations despite the current crisis surrounding the Trump statement,” he said.