Benjamin Netanyahu Slams French Proposal on Palestinian Statehood Israel’s prime minister said it would reward Palestinian intransigence By Rory Jones
http://www.wsj.com/articles/benjamin-netanyahu-slams-french-proposal-on-palestinian-statehood-1454252418
TEL AVIV—Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday criticized a French proposal to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, calling it an incentive for the Palestinians not to compromise in negotiations to resolve their long-running conflict.
France said Friday it would recognize the State of Palestine if one last attempt to bring the two sides together through an international conference failed. Mr. Netanyahu told a weekly cabinet meeting Sunday the proposal meant France effectively supported the Palestinian leadership.
“This will be an incentive for the Palestinians to come and not compromise,” he said.
He reiterated that Israel was prepared to enter direct negotiations with the Palestinians but without preconditions or terms dictated by the international community.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France would try to convene an international event with the Israelis, the Palestinians and Arab states to start negotiations on a peace agreement.
“Let us engage seriously with this French initiative to achieve the two-state solution,” Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator in peace talks, told Israel’s Army Radio on Sunday. “We’re under your occupation, and you must understand this.”
U.S.-brokered talks between the Israelis and Palestinians fell apart in 2014 on a number of sticking points, including land swaps and prisoner exchanges, and relations between the two sides have since deteriorated markedly.
In the past four months, Palestinians have launched almost daily attacks against Israelis that Palestinian officials blame on public frustration at Israel’s continued occupation of the West Bank.
Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis and wounded nearly 300 others in stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks, according to the Israeli foreign ministry. More than 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces and civilians, predominantly while attacking Israelis, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
On Sunday, a Palestinian opened fire at a checkpoint north of Jerusalem, wounding three Israelis, the Israeli military said. The assailant was killed by forces at the scene, the military added.
Top European officials, including Mr. Fabius, have said repeatedly their governments would eventually recognize a Palestinian state if the peace process stalls.
Sweden’s government in 2014 became the first European Union member country to recognize a Palestinian state. The parliaments of France and the U.K. have also introduced legislation to take similar steps although these votes aren’t binding on government policy.
President Barack Obama’s stated policy is that a Palestinian state can be established only through an agreement negotiated between the two sides, although the U.S. leader concedes such an outcome is unlikely before his term ends in 2017.
Comments are closed.
