Ben-Eliezer calls for pressure on Abbas to reach a settlement

Israel’s Industry, Trade and Labor minister, Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, called on the international community to put pressure on the Palestinian side, “to ensure that the continuity of the negotiating process and the conclusion of a bilateral settlement between the two sides.”

During a meeting headed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday September 7, Eliezer said, “I hope that both the Western and Arab countries continue to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, to move toward an agreement with Israel”.

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He added that the Arab world countries should be the first to be troubled by the new realities in the Middle East, following Iran’s emergence as a country with nuclear capabilities.

On another note, he considered the settlements issue as a peripheral issue – pointing out that what is more important is “Israel’s security and its survival”. The Labor minister warned of a “state of isolation” that is gradually engulfing Tel Aviv.