Following the Iranian attack on Israel, the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem received urgent requests for calls with Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Two of the requests, from British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, were particularly pressing.
According to ministry sources familiar with the details, the two top diplomats, whose countries were actively involved in mitigating the attack, sought to speak urgently with their Israeli counterpart due to concerns about an immediate Israeli response and escalation.
French Foreign Minister Séjourné expressed support for Israel and condemned the Iranian aggression but voiced sincere concern about escalation. "What are your plans now? We are very concerned about a regional escalation that will affect the entire region," the French minister told Katz.
Shortly after, British Secretary Cameron contacted Katz, saying, "Iran says that if you respond, their response will be greater. I think the smart thing would be not to react and prevent escalation. You have shown very clearly that Iran is the aggressor - as your friend, I ask that you not respond."
Katz thanked both for their support of Israel and their active assistance in mitigating the Iranian attack. He addressed his colleagues' concerns but made it clear: "Israel, like any country, has the right and obligation to defend its citizens. We live in a tough neighborhood, and in this neighborhood, it's not enough to be strong - everyone needs to know that you are strong."
The senior Israeli official further told his counterparts, "Help us make the situation easier. It's your time to weaken Iran - Israel expects its friends to block Iran's aggression, also by declaring the Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, imposing severe sanctions on Iran's missile project, and applying economic pressures that will curb Iran's proxies operating in the entire region."
Katz promised to update Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the call and agreed to inform French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the Israeli request to impose sanctions on Iran, and the dialogue between the parties will continue. Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are set to arrive in Israel this week for a joint visit.