Israeli, German leaders meet in Berlin on Iran threat

BERLIN - Israel's cabinet convened yesterday for the first time in Berlin, the former heart of the Nazi regime, for a special joint session with the German government highlighting the two nations' strong bond, six decades after the Holocaust.

The focus, though, was not on threats gone by but on one that may loom in the future: the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran.

After the joint session, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that Iran will face new sanctions if it doesn't change course on its nuclear program. Netanyahu used the occasion to highlight the gravity of the Iranian threat.

"We know from recent history that a regime that tyrannizes its own people will tyrannize the world," he said.

Germany's efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions figured high on the agenda, and Merkel said her country would back tougher sanctions if Iran did not curtail its nuclear program.

Environmental issues, economic cooperation and efforts to restart the Middle East peace process were also discussed during the one-day visit by Netanyahu and six of his ministers.

An Israeli defense official said Jerusalem has recently begun discussing the possibility of acquiring a sixth submarine built by Germany. It already has three. Israel is also interested in German-made Meko-a 100 warships.

The cabinet meeting began after a joint visit to Berlin's Holocaust memorial, a field of 2,711 gray slabs that serve as a tribute to the Holocaust's 6 million Jewish victims. - AP