Danby asks Iran’s foreign minister pointed questions
Federal Labor MP Michael Danby has questioned Iran’s Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif at a meeting in Canberra.
The meeting was initially attended by about 15 committee members of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade but later reduced to about five.
Danby told J-Wire: “After some pleasantries, including reference to the Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great, I questioned the Foreign Minister about Iran’s missile tests which took place in October, December and March (which even the Obama Administration condemned and imposed new sanctions). I asked the foreign minister Zarif if it was not highly provocative and damaging to Iran’s international reputation for one of the missiles from the recent March test to have inscribed on it “Israel must be wiped out”.
Finally I asked a more fundamental question emerging from this missile incitement. ‘What would Iran’s policy be if the Israelis and Palestinians agreed to a “two state solution”. Would Iran recognise Israel?’
Zarif insisted UNSC 1929 was void. It had been “supplanted” at the nuclear negotiations by Resolution 2231, which he insisted only prevented Iran from shooting missiles that were nuclear weapons capable.
Therefore as Iran had no nuclear warheads these missiles could be fired. In a riposte to me questions he demanded that Israeli Ministers cease saying Iran would be attacked.
Zarif brazenly claimed that no Iranian leader, including former President Ahmadinejad, had actually called for Israel to be attacked.
He made it very clear, implicitly, that there was no change on recognition of Israel saying ‘Iran is not a party to the Conflict’.
“If, as was unlikely, there was a peace between Israel and the Palestinians Iran would recognise the Palestinians. “This was unlikely”, he added, “because the Zionists have shown themselves incapable of negotiating with the Palestinians”.
He repeatedly cited former President Jimmy Carter in response to my and other questions saying that former President Carter described Israel as an “apartheid state where 50% of people have no rights”.
He concluded by telling the remaining four bemused members of the committee that there was no evidence of Iran using force to affect the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.”
We should always talk to potential trading partner.
No trade and Australia becomes a “banana republic” constitutional monarchy
Is Julie Bishop not embarrassed?
Iranian duplicity
not even Hamas trusts them
well done Mr Danby