French President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated on Wednesday that an Iran with nuclear weapons is "unacceptable," but backed the country's aspirations for a civil nuclear program. He was speaking to the American Jewish Committee, which honored Sarkozy with its Light Unto the Nations Award during his first official trip to Washington as president. Sarkozy urged a continuation of dialogue with the Islamic Republic, but reiterated statements he made at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this fall, saying, "Nuclear weapons for Iran is unacceptable." But fundamentalism and terrorism could grow, he warned, if deprived of their "lifeline" or nuclear energy. "I believe that Arab countries, including Iran [sic], have a right to civilian nuclear power," Sarkozy said, mentioning Syria as well.
Sarkozy also praised Israel as a "miracle" and emphasized the obligation the world has to guarantee Israel's security, following its emergence out of the ashes of the Holocaust. "Israel's security is nonnegotiable," he said. He added, though, that an important move for Israel's security would be the establishment of a Palestinian state. He suggested that, "Instead of having two states, I think you should have two nation-states."