Netanyahu discusses Iran with Europe leaders by phone

By Eshat Firat

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with a number of European leaders by phone on Saturday evening, according to the Israeli Prime Ministry.

In a written statement, Netanyahu discussed the “regional situation and developments in Iran” with his British and Polish counterparts Theresa May and Mateusz Morawiecki, Romanian President Klaus Iohhannis, and Romanian parliament head Liviu Dragnea in separate phone calls.

The statement added that Netanyahu also spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday.

On Dec. 28, thousands of people took to the streets in Iran’s northeastern cities of Mashhad and Kashmar to protest rising inflation, unemployment, and perceived government mismanagement.

The protests later seemed to turn into anti-regime rallies, spreading to the Tehran, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Zanjan, Ahvaz, and Arak provinces.

More than 20 people were killed in the demonstrations, including at least one police officer, while more than 1,000 others were detained by authorities.

On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu pointed to two leaders openly supporting the unrest in Iran; Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Referring to the UN General Assembly vote which rejected the unilateral U.S. decision of declaring Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the statement said, “Netanyahu also thanked the President of Romania and the Polish Prime Minister for their abstention in the UN vote.”

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.