"I do not believe that the Iranian nuclear program is for peaceful purposes," said David Lega, a member of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, of the Islamic Republic's claim that the program was intended for "civilian purposes."
David Lega // Photo: EPPGroup-MLahousse,
In an exclusive interview with Israel Today, based in Sweden, Lega said that "we have not yet had a decision on Iran, we are following it very carefully. I do not want to speak on behalf of the committee because we have not yet debated it, but I think many of its members Partners in my position. "
In an interview, Lega mentioned the condemnation he sent along with colleagues from the committee to EU Foreign Minister Joseph Burrell, due to the presence of Henrika More, the deputy foreign affairs chief of the EU, at the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi last June.
"I think in many ways, in recent years the European Parliament has begun to see what a threat Iran is, which is why it is so sad that they sent a teacher to swear in," Lega said in disappointment, adding, "I do not understand why we should recognize this election."
Iranian nuclear facility // Photo: AFP,
However, he noted several steps taken by the European Parliament against the influence of the ayatollahs, including the definition of Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and the Iranians' involvement in the war in Yemen as supporters of the Houthis ("proxy forces").
"If we have an agreement, Europe can not be the only one that respects it. We need to ensure that Iran abides by and respects the agreement, we need to be very clear about how we should act and what sanctions we should include," the MP said. "If we are the only ones to honor the agreement, it will be devastating."
The interview with Lega was done from Sweden, but on Monday it arrived in Israel as part of a delegation initiated by the organization "ELNET" Europe-Israel, which works to strengthen relations between the countries and includes a dozen senior members of the European Parliament.
Shai Bezeq, CEO of ELNET, said that the arrival of senior members of the European Parliament in Israel is another significant step towards strengthening the vital connection between Israel and Europe.
I am confident that the important visit has the power to further promote the common interests of both parties, as part of future initiatives and collaborations. "
