Skip to main content

Netanyahu Calls for Peace Summit With Palestinian Leaders





By Robert Berger
Jerusalem
12 July 2009

Israel is calling for a resumption of stalled Middle East peace talks. But the Palestinians are skeptical.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attends his weekly cabinet meeting in Be’er Sheva, Israel, 12 Jul 2009
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu attends his weekly cabinet meeting in Be’er Sheva, Israel, 12 Jul 2009
Israel's hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to meet with him for the first time.

Speaking at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Mr. Netanyahu urged the Palestinian Authority to cooperate with Israel on economic projects to promote the peace process.

He said many investors want to help boost the Palestinian economy and Israel is doing its part by easing travel and trade restrictions. He said there is no reason not to meet.







But the Palestinians have refused to resume peace talks since the right-wing Israeli government assumed power three months ago. Palestinian spokesman Yasser Abed Rabbo described Mr. Netanyahu's offer as a publicity stunt.

In remarks broadcast on Israel Radio, Abed Rabbo said the Israeli Prime Minister is not prepared to compromise on core issues, like the expansion of Jewish settlements and the creation of a Palestinian state.

Mr. Netanyahu's strategy is to begin with economic prosperity, something on which both sides can agree. He says that would create a positive atmosphere for tackling the tougher issues of the peace process. But the Palestinians say a full stomach is no replacement for freedom and independence.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ASEAN pushes for resumption of N. Korea nuke talks

ASEAN and friends: Foreign Ministers from left, Vietnam's Pham Gia Khiem, South Korea's Kim Sung-hwan, Japan's Takeaki Matsumoto, Indonesia's Marty Natalegawa, and China's Yang Jiechi, hold hands during a group photo at the opening session of ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Thursday. (AP/Dita Alangkara) Associated Press, Nusa Dua | Thu, 07/21/2011 2:19 PM Foreign ministers from 10 Southeast Asian nations are calling for a speedy resumption of talks aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. China, the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia had been negotiating since 2003 to persuade Pyongyang to dismantle the program in exchange for aid and other concessions. The North pulled out of the talks about two years ago after being censured for launching a long-range rocket. It has indicated a willingness in recent months to return to the table. The 10-member Association of Southeast As...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dangdut divorcees to reinvigorate scene

The Jakarta Post | Thu, 07/21/2011 9:47 PM JAKARTA: Wanting to reinvigorate dangdut, Anang Hermansyah has added some color to the genre by forming Tiga Kembang (Three Flowers), a trio of divorced dangdut singers. He wants dangdut to become the music of Indonesia all over again, he said. Cici Paramida, Ikke Nurjanah and Kirstina were Anang’s picks for the dangdut group. But, wanting such huge names, how did he make this dangdut supergroup happen? “I was hanging out with my friend Irvan Nat. Irvan said, ‘this song Goyang Sayang would be great if it was sung by those three, can this be arranged?’ Then Irvan Nat called each of them,” Anang said as reported by kapanlagi.com. But the song was not written for Tiga Kembang but for Krisdayanti and Siti. Because the latter project ended up not happening, the song was given to Tiga Kembang. Anang said Goyang Sayang was filled with nuance, the rhythm of the song upbeat and fresh. “I witnessed the development of dangdut and how it beca...
Post a Comment
Read more