Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Asian and Pacific ambassadors to Israel that Israeli settlement expansion was a continuation of previous governments’ work “to build in Jerusalem for all its residents”.
In a meeting with envoys from China, India, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, Netanyahu reiterated that “Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for 3,000 years.”
“I think that for us, the important thing is that we are committed to our capitals; we’re committed to peace; and we’re going to build in Jerusalem for all its residents.”
“This is something that has been done by all previous governments; this is something that my government will continue to do,” he concluded unequivocally.
Netanyahu’s statement of intent came as Israel’s key European and US allies have adopted an increasingly critical rhetoric about Israel’s apparently retaliatory settlement expansion plans following last month’s overwhelming approval of the Palestinian Authority bid for upgraded status at the UN General Assembly.
As Europe’s four-member UN Security Council contingent issued a joint statement condemning the Israeli action and the US was reported to have blocked a joint presidential statement by all members of the Security Council condemning the announced plans, as well as vetoing a vote on an official resolution condemning Israel’s actions, British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed he had held crisis talks with US President Barack Obama via video conference on the Middle East peace process Wednesday afternoon.
In an official statement by the British leader’s office, it was revealed, “the Prime Minister raised concerns about threats to the possibility of a two state solution, including violence emanating from Gaza, and recent Israeli settlement announcements”.
“The leaders agreed on the urgent importance of restarting a viable peace process,” the statement said.
A simultaneous White House statement confirmed only that the leaders “agreed on the need to find a way forward on Middle East peace that stops the cycle of counterproductive unilateral actions by the Israelis and Palestinians, and brings the parties back to the negotiating table,” making no direct reference to the offending actions in question.
Both administrations’ initial responses Tuesday to the announcement Monday that a Jerusalem planning committee had approved plans to construct a further 1,500 settlement homes in East Jerusalem contained harsher condemnation of the move, as British Foreign Secretary William Hague described himself “deeply disappointed” by Israel’s decision to proceed with the action considered illegal under international law by the global community. “It is deeply disappointing that despite the international community repeatedly raising our concerns, Israel continues to press ahead with plans to expand them,” read his statement.
Insisting that “settlements undermine the foundation of a two state solution and trust between the parties”, as he urged the Israeli administration to desist with the plans, which he said, if implemented “constitutes a serious provocation and an obstacle to peace”.
Echoing the British position, US State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said “we are deeply disappointed that Israel insists on continuing this pattern of provocative action”.
“These repeated announcements and plans of new construction run counter to the cause of peace. Israel’s leaders continually say that they support a path towards a two-state solution, yet these actions only put that goal further at risk. So we again call on Israel and the Palestinians to cease any kinds of counterproductive unilateral actions and take concrete steps to return to direct negotiations,” she said at the department’s daily press briefing.
Nuland reiterated President Barack Obama’s administration’s repeated rhetoric that the only way to “settle this whole question of building and settlements is for the parties to come together and settle security, settle boundaries between them. That is the right path forward. We don’t want to see provocative action on either side”.