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Israel PM: root of Palestinian conflict 'not territorial'

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 07:15

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said the root of the conflict with the Palestinians was not about territory but about their refusal to recognise Israel as the Jewish state. "The root of the conflict is not territorial. It started a long time before 1967," Netanyahu said in a meeting with foreign ministry officials. "The Palestinians' lack of will to recognise the state of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people is the root of the conflict," he said.

Israel will not talk on basis of 1967 lines

Agence France-PresseMay 1, 2013 05:00

Israel will keep refusing to negotiate on the basis of a total withdrawal from land it seized during the 1967 Six-Day War, a minister said Wednesday after the Arab League modified its peace plan. "If Israel agrees to come to the negotiating table while accepting in advance that talks would be held on the basis of the 1967 lines, there wouldn't be very much to negotiate about," said Gilad Erdan, a minister in the security cabinet and considered close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel hails Arab League's stance on land swaps

Agence France-PresseApril 30, 2013 04:47

Israel's lead peace negotiator Tzipi Livni Tuesday praised as "important" a concession by the Arab League that Israel and the Palestinians could trade land in a bid to move the peace process forward. "This is very good news," she told army radio. "It's definitely an important step -- I welcome it."

Israel hails Arab League's stance on land swaps

Agence France-PresseApril 30, 2013 03:41

Israel's lead peace negotiator Tzipi Livni Tuesday praised as "important" a concession by the Arab League that Israel and the Palestinians could trade land in a bid to move the peace process forward. "It's definitely an important step -- I welcome it," Livni said. "The step taken by the Arab League really strengthens the opportunity" to reach an agreement, she added. bur-hmw/jds/bpz

Netanyahu says Iran yet to cross nuclear 'red line'

Agence France-PresseApril 29, 2013 16:16

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Monday that Tehran's nuclear programme was getting closer to crossing a crucial "red line" but had yet to reach it. "It has not yet crossed the red line which I laid out in the United Nations but it is systematically approaching it and we cannot let it cross," he told senior members of his Likud-Beitenu political alliance in remarks broadcast on public radio.

Graft trial of Israel's Lieberman gets under way

Agence France-PresseApril 25, 2013 04:30

Israel's former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman was in court on Thursday as his trial on charges of fraud and breach of trust got under way in Jerusalem. At a first hearing on February 17, Lieberman pleaded not guilty in a trial which will decide the one-time nightclub bouncer's political future. Lieberman is suspected of trying to secure an ambassadorial posting for Israeli diplomat Zeev Ben Aryeh who provided him with confidential information about a police investigation into his affairs.

Netanyahu cannot confirm report of Syrian chemical arms use - Kerry

Thomson ReutersApril 23, 2013 12:18

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not confirm comments by the Israeli military's top intelligence analyst that Syrian government forces had used chemical weapons, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday. "I talked to Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning. I think it is fair for me to say that he was not in a position to confirm that in the conversation that I had," Kerry told a news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels. "I don't know yet what the facts are."

Kerry: Netanyahu can't confirm Syria chemical weapons use

Agence France-PresseApril 23, 2013 12:01

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not been able to confirm to him on Tuesday that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons against rebels. Kerry said he had telephoned Netanyahu following reports of their use. "I think it is fair to say (the prime minister) was not in a position to confirm that in the conversation ... I do not know yet what the facts are," he said. bmm/ccr/lc

Cameron calls on Israel to restart peace process

Agence France-PresseApril 17, 2013 17:01

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday urged Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to reopen peace talks with the Palestinians as they met for the funeral of former British leader Margaret Thatcher. The pair also discussed ways to deepen economic relations between the two countries and the ongoing Syrian crisis. "The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of efforts to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process for the future of Israel and the Palestinians and the region," said a read-out of the meeting issued by Cameron's office.

Israel's Livni rules out Turkey role in talks -- for now

Agence France-PresseApril 7, 2013 12:45

Israel's lead peace negotiator Tzipi Livni on Sunday ruled out Turkey taking an immediate role in reviving talks with the Palestinians, shortly before US Secretary of State John Kerry flew in. Asked if Turkey could play an important role in the peace process -- an idea raised by Kerry at a press conference earlier in the day in Istanbul -- she told public radio: "The idea is interesting, but it could take time."