Politics
Israel says a Palestinian effort to set a three-year deadline for it to end its occupation of Palestinian territories is a "gimmick". The BBC reports:
A draft resolution, submitted by Jordan to the UN Security Council, also calls for a peace accord within a year. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that without Israel's consent, nothing would change.
Jordan has indicated it will not seek a quick vote, opening the way for further discussion. The US - which has vetoed previous resolutions it considers hostile to its ally Israel - said on Thursday it would not support the move.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said they would not support any action that would prejudge the outcome of negotiations.
"We have seen the draft, it is not something we would support and we think others feel the same and are calling for further consultations," she said.
Mr Lieberman said the draft resolution would only deepen the conflict.
At the end of a day in which international organizations in Europe severely rebuked Israel, and the French were poised to submit a joint resolution with the Jordanians and Palestinians to the UN Security Council calling for a Palestinian state in two years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a “spirit of appeasement” is blowing through Europe. The Jerusalem Post writes:
Speaking Wednesday evening at a reception for foreign journalists, Netanyahu cited three decisions – the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg’s taking Hamas off the EU’s terrorist list, the European Parliament’s resolution backing Palestinian statehood, and the call at a meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to investigate Israel for supposed violations of that convention – as indicating Europe’s interest in appeasing the “very forces that threaten Europe itself.”
“Too many in Europe are calling on Israel to make concessions that would endanger not only the security of Israel, but also – paradoxically – the security of Europe,” he said.
“Because Israel is the forward position of European civilization. Israel is the bulwark of European values. Israel is the pluralist, vibrant, multi-party democracy.” Israel, he said, “is an embattled democracy in a region plagued by totalitarianism, tyranny, and Islamist terrorism.”
The prime minister said Israel is forced to defend itself against terrorists who committed “double war crimes,” firing indiscriminately on Israeli civilians while using their own people as human shields.
