Merkel to Palestinian government: Recognize Israel
German chancellor to meet Prime Minister Olmert, Foreign Minister Livni and Palestinian Authority President Abbas. Merkel: We seek to bolster parties that support Quartet's principles"
Before arriving to Israel, Merkel met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Aqaba, where she called on the Palestinian government to fulfill the demands of the Quartet: recognition of Israel, acceptance of all previously-signed international agreements with Israel, and renunciation of terror.
Merkel, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, would like to strengthen the EU's role in diplomatic efforts to end the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Her visit comes in the wake of last week's unanimous Riyadh declaration by Arab heads of state, offering Israel full normalization of relations if it withdraws from all land occupied in the 1967 war, and allows the creation of a Palestinian state and the return of Palestinian refugees.
Merkel said that the European Union seeks to bolster those parties in the region that support the principles set forth by the Quartet. Israeli sources are skeptical that Merkel's visit will lead to a diplomatic breakthrough.
After her Sunday meeting with Olmert, Merkel is expected to travel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and to discuss the Arab initiative with him. In the evening Olmert will host Merkel for dinner.
Sources in Olmert's office told Ynet that Israel supports the Arab initiative but rejects demands that Palestinian refugees be granted a right of return, that Israel withdraw to the 1967 borders and that East Jerusalem become the Palestinian capital.
The Saudi initiative is supposed to compliment the road map, which aims for the establishment of "two states for two peoples" living peacefully side-by-side, said the sources.
Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres, in a meeting with Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the United States House of Representatives, said that the Riyadh declaration is a positive development. "If we sit down together, we can solve the disagreements that are preventing a solution based on two states for two peoples," he said.
Government sources expressed satisfaction at Merkel's visit, noting that senior officials representing three of the four Quartet members had visited Israel in the past week. In addition to Merkel, Israel has hosted US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Reuters contributed to this article
