Netanyahu rejects French ultimatum on Palestinian statehood

[forest444]

Source: Yahoo News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Sunday for a more "sober" approach towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in dismissing a French peace initiative as only encouraging Palestinians to shun compromise.

The proposal on Friday by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius for an international peace conference was the latest sign of Western frustration over the absence of movement toward a two-state solution since the collapse of U.S.-brokered negotiations in 2014. Fabius said that if the French plan did not break the deadlock, Paris would recognize a Palestinian state. Such a step would raise concern in Israel that other European countries, also long opposed to its settlement-building in occupied territory, would follow suit.

On Saturday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the French proposal, telling an African summit in Ethiopia that "the status quo cannot continue." While aware the initiative may struggle to get off the ground, French officials said Paris had a responsibility to act now in the face of Israeli settlement activity and the prospect of continued diplomatic inaction as the United States focuses on a presidential election in November.

And, the officials said, Netanyahu had gone too far in accusing U.N. Secretary of State Ban Ki-moon of giving a "tailwind to terrorism" by laying some of the blame for four months of stabbings and car rammings by Palestinians at Israel's door. Ban angered Israel by saying last week that it is "human nature to react to occupation."

The United States, European Union - Israel's closest allies - have also issued unusually stern criticism of Israel in recent weeks, reflecting their own frustration with the policies of Netanyahu's right-wing government. The criticism, particularly about the settlements, where some 550,000 Jews live in around 250 communities scattered across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, has raised Palestinian hopes that world powers might finally be minded to support a U.N. resolution condemning Israel's policy outright.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-rejects-french-ultimatum-palestinian-statehood-125009769.html

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Read: Netanyahu rejects French ultimatum on Palestinian statehood.

[BillZBubb]

1. Who could have seen that coming?!

As long as the US remains Israel's apologist/enabler in the UN, Netanyahu has no incentive for a peace deal.

[DemMomma4Sanders]

2. Not to mention their banker!

The US regularly gives Israel industry huge subsidization in direct competition to US industry. We're talking an amount that totals hundreds of billions of dollars of economic growth the US lost because of this.

[farleftlib]

3. Yes, it's a cash hemorrhage, alright!

Welcome to DU DM4S.

[lark]

4. Little Murderer rejects anything that might lead to peace.

He demands the power to keep killing Palestinians and taking their land unilaterally.

[forest444]

5. He's turned it into a rogue state, pure and simple.

What the Israelis need most of all, is regime change.