Can Trump and Netanyahu get Europe to push back against Iran’s ballistic missiles?
Can Trump and Netanyahu get Europe to push back against Iran’s ballistic missiles?
Col. Eran Lerman: “Trump and Netanyahu cannot get backing on the nuclear deal but they can get Europe to take a stand on the missiles."
World Israel News, 25.1.2018
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not a ‘lone wolf’ in Davos, Switzerland, this week, where he is trying to convince world leaders, especially from Europe, that there must be changes in the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the world powers in 2015. This time Netanyahu has the President of the United States firmly at his side with a unified message about the deal, which is “fix it or nix it.”
Israeli analysts say European leaders will likely not agree to re-open the agreement as demanded by Israel and the US, but they could get more positive feedback to demands that Iran end its ballistic missile program as well as its support for radical Islamic terror.
Dr. Gerald Steinberg of Bar Ilan University told World Israel News (WIN) that most European leaders are reluctant to engage in confrontation to reopen the matter. “Part of European reluctance has to do with contracts and jobs that were created when sanctions on Iran were lifted. But on the issue of demanding an end to Iranian ballistic missile testing, the Europeans can be convinced to take action,” Steinberg said.
Col. Eran Lerman of the Jerusalem Institute of Strategic Studies agrees that “Trump and Netanyahu cannot get backing on the nuclear deal but they can get Europe to take a stand on the missiles, and moderate Arab states are backing them up on this issue.”
Another issue of importance to the Europeans is that of Middle East refugees who continue to flood the continent, Steinberg told WIN. “Europe sees Syrian Sunnis being driven out of their country and reaching Europe. They realize that the refugees will never leave their countries until the Iran-controlled Assad regime allows it to happen,” he said.
Dr. Lerman is deputy director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). He was deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at the National Security Council in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. He held senior posts in IDF Military Intelligence for over 20 years. He also served for eight years as director of the Israel and Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee. He teaches in the Middle East studies program at Shalem College in Jerusalem, and in post-graduate programs at Tel Aviv University and the National Defense College. He is an expert on Israel’s foreign relations, and on the Middle East. A third-generation Sabra, he holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, and a mid-career MPA from Harvard University.
Israel’s decision to end defense exports to Qatar addresses only part of the problem. Doha...
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), our privacy policy and cookie statement, and to receive marketing and billing emails from jiss. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Sign up for the newsletter
For up-to-date analysis and commentary.
Are You In?
Join 8,000+ Subscribers who enjoy our weekly digest
Home page / Media Appearances and Publications / Can Trump and Netanyahu get Europe to push back against Iran’s ballistic missiles?
Can Trump and Netanyahu get Europe to push back against Iran’s ballistic missiles?
By Steve Leibowitz, World Israel News
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not a ‘lone wolf’ in Davos, Switzerland, this week, where he is trying to convince world leaders, especially from Europe, that there must be changes in the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the world powers in 2015. This time Netanyahu has the President of the United States firmly at his side with a unified message about the deal, which is “fix it or nix it.”
Israeli analysts say European leaders will likely not agree to re-open the agreement as demanded by Israel and the US, but they could get more positive feedback to demands that Iran end its ballistic missile program as well as its support for radical Islamic terror.
Dr. Gerald Steinberg of Bar Ilan University told World Israel News (WIN) that most European leaders are reluctant to engage in confrontation to reopen the matter. “Part of European reluctance has to do with contracts and jobs that were created when sanctions on Iran were lifted. But on the issue of demanding an end to Iranian ballistic missile testing, the Europeans can be convinced to take action,” Steinberg said.
Col. Eran Lerman of the Jerusalem Institute of Strategic Studies agrees that “Trump and Netanyahu cannot get backing on the nuclear deal but they can get Europe to take a stand on the missiles, and moderate Arab states are backing them up on this issue.”
Another issue of importance to the Europeans is that of Middle East refugees who continue to flood the continent, Steinberg told WIN. “Europe sees Syrian Sunnis being driven out of their country and reaching Europe. They realize that the refugees will never leave their countries until the Iran-controlled Assad regime allows it to happen,” he said.
read more
may interest you
“Iran in Light of the Nuclear Talks” – Biweekly Status Report (May 11 – May 25, 2025)
Star Wars Rebooted
The Japan, China, Iran Triangle: Strategic Implications for Israel
Trump’s Initiative to Normalize Russia and End the War in Ukraine: Initial Strategic Implications
The Palestinian Authority’s ‘Pay-to-Slay’ Reform is a Sham
President Trump’s Gaza Proposal Shifts the Diplomatic Landscape
Navigating Uncertainty: U.S.-Indonesian Relations in Trump’s Second Term
Europe Can and Should be Part of Israel’s Victory
Colonel (res.) Dr. Eran Lerman
Dr. Lerman is deputy director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). He was deputy director for foreign policy and international affairs at the National Security Council in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. He held senior posts in IDF Military Intelligence for over 20 years. He also served for eight years as director of the Israel and Middle East office of the American Jewish Committee. He teaches in the Middle East studies program at Shalem College in Jerusalem, and in post-graduate programs at Tel Aviv University and the National Defense College. He is an expert on Israel’s foreign relations, and on the Middle East. A third-generation Sabra, he holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, and a mid-career MPA from Harvard University.
Recent publications
Security Through Economics: Regional Infrastructure as a Lever for Stability
Mapping the Middle East’s Game of Camps
Halting Arms Sales to Qatar Is Only the First Step
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions), our privacy policy and cookie statement, and to receive marketing and billing emails from jiss. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Sign up for the newsletter
For up-to-date analysis and commentary.