Netanyahu sets conditions for resumption of negotiations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set out his conditions for the resumption of talks with the Palestinians; the establishment of a demilitarised Palestinian state which recognises Israel as a distinctly “Jewish state”. Netanyahu’s announcement was made after a senior official in the Israeli Ministry of Defence had said that his country rejects the two-state solution, ahead of a visit by US State Secretary John Kerry who is seeking to launch new peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that he will speak with Kerry this week about how to resume negotiations. “Together we will try to make progress to find an opening with the Palestinians in order to reach an agreement,” he said. “That agreement will be based on a demilitarised Palestinian state that recognises the Jewish state and solid security arrangements that depend on the Israel Defence Forces.”

He added that the cabinet must work in unison to this end and focus on important steps without getting distracted by minor party issues.