In a change of strategic policies in dealing with Iran from the preceding administration, United States Vice President Mike Pence has told Israeli government leaders that the Trump administration does plan to pull out of the Obama-era 2015 Iran Nuclear deal unless there are substantial amendments added to the Iran deal, the Herald Scotland news reported.
As he was completing his trip, Pence frequently alluded to Jerusalem as “Israel’s capital,” standing with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also utilized a high-profile lecture to the Israeli assembly to report on the on-going plans to move up the timing of the opening of the new U.S.
Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to be completed by the conclusion of 2019.
Vice-President Pence visit and statements
Later on Tuesday, Pence greeted Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and declared that the U.S. would stay focused and will counter Iran’s nuclear threat against Israel and other nations. Pence then paid a visit to Israel’s “Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial” and Israel’s Western Wall. Rivlin hailed Pence’s speech to the Israeli parliament with his stance and relentless pursuit for the acknowledgment of Jerusalem as Israel’s historical capital. Rivlin told Pence, “You are a mensch (a person of honor and integrity).”
In addition, Pence echoed the Trump administration’s strategy to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement, which has been vocally opposed by Israel, unless the deal is revised that does not benefit Iran.
He further said that the United States intends on securing much-needed support from European partners to focus on what he portrayed as defective parts of the accord, and stated that President Donald Trump has made it very clear that the U.S. will void the Iranian nuclear deal if that doesn’t happen.
Sitting next to Rivlin, Pence stated that the U.S.
is sending notice to our allies in Europe that changes in the Iranian nuclear deal have to be made now, not later. He went on to say that penalizing sanctions will be obtainable for several years to come to thwart Iran from acquiring a nuclear warhead and that you, the Israel people, have our assurance to work diligently with our allies throughout the world to accomplish that.
Pence plans to stop over and visit Jordan and Egypt.
Palestine opposition to Pence visit and Jerusalem's recognition
Pence’s speech did not go smoothly as Palestine opposition to his and the Trump administration’s stance concerning Jerusalem as being the capital of Israel. Numerous Arab officials yelled and held up signs that read, “Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine” before they were forcibly taken away by security from the assembly. Palestinian officials have criticized the Jerusalem’s recognition as the capital of Israel and have rejected to meet with Vice-President Pence.
The Palestinians have proactively vetoed any peace proposal by the Trump administration due to apprehensions that it would not lead to an “independent state in the West Bank” that includes Gaza and East Jerusalem, in which those lands were taken in the 1967 war by Israel armed forces.
On Tuesday, Mahmoud Abbas of the Muslim Fatah party called for an economic strike campaign against Vice President Pence’s visit and President Donald Trump’s acknowledgment of Jerusalem. The general strike is expected to include various shops, public transportation, various financial institutions as well as other parts of Israel’s businesses, with the exception of medical centers and schools.
