Mitchell and Netanyahu
Photo: GPO
PM hopes 'other side wants to start negotiations'
After Palestinians accept US president's invitation to visit White House in May, Netanyahu says talks with special envoy Mitchell 'were very positive'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
opened the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday morning shortly after meeting with US special envoy George Mitchell. "Israel
wants to start the peace process immediately. The US wants to start the process immediately, I hope the Palestinians will want to start this process immediately," he said.
Mitchell himself met with Defense Minister Ehud Barak,
a moment before the two took off to the United States, where Barak is expected to meet with administration officials.
The prime minister added that "we will know in the coming days if the process will be launched. The talks with envoy Mitchell were very positive."
Proximity Talks
Ali Waked
Chief Palestinian negotiator Erekat says Palestinian president accepted invitation delivered by Obama's special envoy
During the cabinet meeting, National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau addressed the construction in Jerusalem. "We must say in the most polite and gentle manner, that just like we don’t tell the Brits and the French what to do in London and Paris, they should not tell us what to do in Jerusalem. We will never stop building in the City of David. We are tired of Palestinian demands," he said.
Barak and Mitchell at Ben-Gurion Airport (Photo: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry)
Referring to Arab Knesset members' visit to Libya for a meeting with President Muammar Gaddafi, Landau said: "Something here must be fundamentally wrong if we let those denying Israel's existence to be its spokespeople. How do we let people connected to terror organizations be elected to the Knesset?"
Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov also addressed the construction in the capital. "I am glad that the prime minister clarified that we will build in any part of united Jerusalem. I am glad the US is beginning to realize, that the situation is stabilizing and that the peace process is moving forward. I hope the process continues to flow on the Palestinian side as well.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said that "the prime minister's stand is clear and it's good that he is making clear statements about Jerusalem. We are continuing the policy of all the governments of Israel, according to which both Jews and Arabs are allowed to build in all parts of Jerusalem."
