Prime Minister Netanyahu
Photo: AP
PM: Direct talks to commence in mid August
Prime minister tells cabinet Hamas fully responsible for rockets fired from Gaza, urges Palestinians to accept international community's call for direct negotiations. Ministers slated to make decision on foreign workers' children later Sunday
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
on Sunday morning addressed the Arab League's approval
of direct talks between Israel
and the Palestinians. During a Likud
ministers' meeting, he estimated that the direct negotiations would be launched in mid August.
"I call on Abu Mazen (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas)
to launch peace talks and accept the international community's call, while maintaining security arrangements as a basic condition," he added.
"In recent weeks I have held talks with foreign leaders, which have reached one goal: A more convenient environment for launching direct talks with the Palestinians," Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.
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Referring to the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip over the weekend, the prime minister said, "I view Hamas as directly responsible for all the attacks on Israel, and I believe the international community should see it the same way."
Science and Technology Minister Daniel Hershkowitz (Habayit Hayehudi) said that "we have to strike while the iron is hot and respond firmly so as not to let the situation before Operation Cast Lead to return."
National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beiteinu) said that the lack of a significant response may lead to an escalation in the situation.
"When you don't claim the required price from those who are behind it, the escalation will continue. During the operation in Gaza we did not complete the work, and therefore Hamas' leadership continues to act. We must demand that they pay a disproportionate price, and we must not enter another operation which won't be completed as well."
'We have a clear immigration policy'
During Sunday's meeting, the government was expected to make a decision on the future of foreign workers' children. "We have been discussing this matter for almost a year now," Netanyahu said.
"On the one hand, this is a human problem and we feel for the children, while on the other hand, we wish to guarantee the State of Israel's Jewish character."
According to the prime minister, the suggested solution is "a balance between the two. Leaving children whose identity has already been formed in Israel and preventing an inflow of more than half a million migrants into the country. We are committed to doing the right thing, even if it doesn't match the public opinion."
Netanyahu also addressed the criticism over the lack of policy on the immigration issue. "We have a clear immigration policy, which involves a physical obstacle on the southern border and punishment and enforcement efforts against employers of work migrants, in order to stop the immigration inflow.
"Israel is too small, and this is a real threat on the State of Israel's future and on the assurance that it will remain the Jewish people's nation state."
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