Top French and British diplomats visiting Israel

Haaretz

The head of the French negotiating team at the Iran nuclear talks in Geneva arrived in Israel on Tuesday, to begin coordinating positions with his colleagues in Jerusalem, in advance of the permanent agreement negotiations between Iran and the six world powers.

Jacques Audibert, who is the political director at the French Foreign ministry, met first with Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz and will hold talks with senior officials from the Israeli foreign ministry and national security institute on Wednesday.

Audibert's visit precedes by a day that of the chief British negotiator at the Iran talks, Simon Gass, who will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for the same purpose as his French counterpart.

Gass, director-general, political at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is also expected to meet Steinitz, National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen and senior officials in the foreign and defense ministries and the intelligence community. He is expected to present his country’s position on the interim agreement with Iran and its implications to his Israeli counterparts and to update them on the progress of the thaw in diplomatic relations between Great Britain and Iran.

Gass’ visit to Israel was preceded by a telephone conversation between Steinitz and British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Hague emphasized that Britain is interested in continuing its close coordination with Israel on the Iranian issue, but expects Israel not to take steps to sabotage the agreement, the British diplomats noted.

Hague told Steinitz that Israel must accept the interim agreement signed with Iran by the world powers and look ahead. He said that Israel must take advantage of the negotiations over a final agreement to take place in the next six months, in order to present its position and contribute its ideas.

The Iranian nuclear program featured prominently on Tuesday, when the ministers comprising Israel’s political-security cabinet met for eight-hours in Glilot for annual intelligence assessments from the Israel Defense Forces Military Intelligence and and of the Mossad - the Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks.