| | | Sarah Rose Ballard |
| | | Mandi Vogel |
| | | Gabriel Butler-Klein |
| | | Regan Copple |
| | | Eva Saltzman |
| | | Samantha Sobel |
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would never recognize any Palestinian state if it were declared without Israel's acceptance. After talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Berlin on Thursday, Merkel said she supported a two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state coexisting side by side. However, she added that this could only be acceptable to Germany if Israel itself recognized Palestinian independence. Palestinian officials have said they might declare statehood in September.
"When it comes to the question of recognizing a Palestinian state, I repeat again that Germany is working for there to be a two-state solution," said Merkel.
"Unilateral recognitions therefore definitely do not contribute to achieving this aim... This is our stance now and it will be our stance in September."
"There needs to be mutual recognition, otherwise it is not a two-state solution."
Plan to seek UN recognition of borders
The Palestinians have pledged to seek UN recognition of an independent state within borders established in 1967 - with east Jerusalem as its capital, despite Israel pressing ahead with controversial plans to build Jewish homes there. Netanyahu is on a diplomatic tour aimed at convincing western allies not to acknowledge the state.
Germany currently holds a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Merkel, who referred to some "controversy" during the meeting, said that the talks had been "very friendly and very direct."
She added that restoring momentum back to the stalled Middle East peace process was "more pressing than ever."
Merkel's office has denied that the chancellor and Israeli prime minister had fallen out in a highly-charged telephone conversation in February, with Merkel accusing Netanyahu of failing to make progress on peace.
"Immediately after the [Israeli school] bus was hit, militants in Gaza fired at least seven mortar rounds at the area, complicating efforts to evacuate the teenager and the bus driver, an AFP correspondent said.
By early evening, the army said at least 45 mortar rounds and rockets had slammed into southern Israel, one of which scored a direct hit on a house."
From Agence France-Presse http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/restofasia/Israel-pounds-Gaza-kills-3-after-missile-hits-bus/Article1-682513.aspx
----------
From Hamas. http://qassam.ps/news-4391-Al_Qassam_declares_responsibility_for_Kfar_Saad_operation.html
Gaza-Ezzedeen Al Qassam Briades (E.Q.B) the military wing of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas declared in a military communiqué released on Thursday April 7, 201l the full responsibility for the operation of targeting Israeli bus traveling in the nearby Israeli settlement of Kfar Sa'ad east of Gaza Strip.
The operation left two Israeli settlers injured, one of them was in a critical condition and evacuated by the Israeli medical crews to Soroka hospital.-----------------------------------
Note: To Hamas.... all Israel is a settlement. And all Israelis are 'settlers.' //Mark jcrc@dmjfed.org
Posts
All Comments
