Recognition and Israel's security "must come before negotiations"

Israel’s Prime Minister has told John Kerry that recognition of the state and its security must be secured before a resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians. Benjamin Netanyahu met with the US Secretary of State for 3 hours during his 3-day visit to Israel earlier this week.

According to Haaretz newspaper, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the situation in Syria were on the agenda along with the Palestine-Israel peace process. “Netanyahu,” claims Haaretz, “said that he is determined not only to resume the peace process with the Palestinians but also to make a serious effort to end this conflict once and for all.”

The Prime Minister’s comments were made in response to the Palestinian demand that Israel should show a map of the proposed border between the two states at the start of negotiations. Netanyahu has refused to do this. One of his ministers said this week that the border is not likely to be based on the 1949 Armistice (“Green”) Line which formed the border at the start of the 1967 war which resulted in Israel occupying the rest of historic Palestine.