Abbas slams new Israeli PM
Photo: AFP
Abbas: Netanyahu 'does not believe in peace'
Palestinian president says new Israeli leader does not want to stop settlement activity, once again urges international community to pressure on him
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
said Wednesday that Israel's
new prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu,
"does not believe in peace," and urged world leaders to pile pressure on him.
"We have to tell the world that this man does not believe in peace, so how should we deal with him? Let's put the ball in the world's court so that it puts pressure on him and assumes its responsibilities."
"Benjamin Netanyahu never believed in a two-state solution or accepted signed agreements and does not want to stop settlement activity. This is obvious," Abbas told the official Palestinian news agency.
Disappointment
Abbas spokesman says new Israeli PM's speech 'not promising'; urges Obama administration to make certain Israel 'abides by land for peace principle'
Abbas' remarks came hours after Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister at the helm of a right-wing government that has said it will hold talks with the Palestinians but isn't committed to the two-state solution.
"We will carry out peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority with a view to reaching a final accord," Netanyahu said Tuesday.
"Under the final accord, the Palestinians will have all the rights to govern themselves except those that can put in danger the security and existence of the State of Israel," Netanyahu said.
The Palestinian Authority said Netanyahu's statements "mark a start that is not encouraging" and urged US President Barack Obama - who has vowed to actively pursue peace talks - to put pressure on Israel.
"The American administration should pressure the Netanyahu government to stick to the fundamentals of the peace process, in other words land for peace.
"This means the restitution of all the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem," Abbas' spokesman said Tuesday.
Israel and the Palestinians formally launched US-backed peace talks in November 2007 but the negotiations made little visible progress before grinding to a halt during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip at the turn of the year.
The European Union last week warned of "consequences" if the new government doesn't commit itself to the principle of the two-state solution, saying relations would become "very difficult."
And US President Barack Obama acknowledged that peace efforts under a Netanyahu cabinet wouldn't be any easier but were just as necessary.
Israel committed itself to a two-state solution in the 2003 Road Map agreement which calls on Israel to halt settlement activity and the Palestinians to halt attacks on the Jewish state.
