Visiting German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer called on Israel Monday to abide by the terms of the Middle East peace roadmap and freeze its settlement activity in the West Bank.
Fischer told a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom that the planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was an opportunity to kickstart the troubled peace process but made his opposition clear to recent announcements of major expansion of the Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
"We stick to the roadmap and to the freeze of settlements," Fischer said. The European Union is one of the four sponsors of the roadmap, which requires Israel to halt all construction work in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
However the United States, another of the sponsors, has tacitly softened its opposition to "natural growth" projects in some of the largest settlement blocs near Jerusalem.
Fischer said that both Germany and the EU were in favour of the plan to pull settlers and troops out of the Gaza Strip next year, describing it as "a process for which we are ready to engage ourselves and Europe".
"The opportunity of the disengagement should be used," he added. Shalom, who has been less than enthusiastic about the so-called disengagement plan, praised Fischer for "understanding our security needs."
But he also took a swipe at Germany and its EU partners over their stance on the barrier.
"Those who vote against the security fence are voting against our security," said Shalom.
The Israeli minister also called on Europe to exert pressure on the Palestinians "to renounce terrorism, carry out reforms and then they can return to the negotiating table."
But he added that it was ultimately up to the Palestinians to decide how they wished to see their future.
"I told my colleague that a solution for the Palestinians lies in Gaza and Ramallah and not at the UN."
Fischer has not met any Palestinian official here but is to meet prime minister Ahmed Qorei when he travels to Egypt on Tuesday.
Comments
Comments are closed.