Brussels, 23/08/2012 (Agence Europe) - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called on the Quartet for the Middle East (United Nations, Russia, European Union, United States), on Tuesday 21 August, to organise elections in Palestine so that President Mahmoud Abbas is kept away and so that the peace process might be reactivated. In a letter sent to the Quartet, the Israeli minister explains that Abbas “apparently is uninterested or unable to reach an agreement which will bring an end to the conflict” between Israel and Palestine. It is time to consider a creative solution, outside well-trodden paths, to strengthen Palestinian leadership, he added, with general elections and the election of a new Palestinian leadership. He said that the current government is “despotic” and “riddled with corruption”.
In his letter, which demonstrates “goodwill from Israel, desire to build trust and sincere desire to create a positive atmosphere vis-à-vis the Palestinian Authority”, Lieberman underlines his country's desire to resume direct talks, broken off in September 2010, and Israel's recent moves towards Palestine. Despite these, he added, the Palestinian Authority has unfortunately shown no goodwill or positive attitude but rather the contrary. In his view, the situation is not “properly represented or reflected in the policy of the EU or the Quartet on this subject”.
The Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erakat, rejected this declaration which he believes is tantamount to incentive to murder. He called on the Quartet to stop this “defamatory” campaign.
The spokesman for EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton told Agence Europe that Ashton had received the minister's letter through the Israeli mission in Brussels and that she will be replying to it. He did not, however, say what her response would be.
Ashton concerned by continued settlement.
Furthermore, Catherine Ashton underlined, on 22 August, her grave concern about the consequences of the decision taken by Israeli authorities to publish a call for tenders for an additional 130 lodgings in the Har Homa settlement in East Jerusalem. Her spokesman pointed out that the EU has on many occasions urged the Israeli government to “immediately” cease all settlement activities in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law. (CG/transl.jl)