Netanyahu Seeks To Form Block Of 30 To Counter To Palestinian UN Bid

Wednesday June 15, 2011 17:57 by Kevin Murphy - IMEMC and Agencies

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intent to create a block of 30 to 50 countries against the Palestinian move to declare statehood in the United Nations in September.

Benjamin Netanyahu - alnaharegypt.com

Netanyahu has stated that he is aware that the block would not have the weight to prevent a vote in the general assembly endorsing Palestinian statehood, but would “balance out the bid's potential support”.

Netanyahu urged the EU to encourage states to vote against Palestinian statehood during a meeting with European Parliament President Prof Jerzy Buzek in Jerusalem. Netanyahu stated that the threat of Iran was growing and that Israel needed EU support to counter it.

Netanyahu said that if Palestinians are given statehood they will not make the necessary compromises required to come to a peace agreement.

The EU has reiterated that it supports negotiations over a declaration of Palestinian statehood in September. The French government have proposed a peace conference in Paris to discuss the two sides returning to talks as part of creating alternatives to current Palestinian plans in the UN.

Palestinian negotiators have said that a freeze in settlement activity in East Jerusalem and the West Bank by Israel is essential to resuming talks. Netanyahu has rejected freezing settlements, saying that settlement activity is not an impediment to peace.

Similarly Netanyahu has rejected returning to talks based on 1967 borders with mutual land swaps as outlined by US President Barrack Obama.

Netanyahu will justify his current position to the Israeli Knesset as requested by opposition politicians.

international | miscellaneous | news report