German leader calls Netanyahu, stresses need for two-state solution

April 15, 2019

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Tags: calls Netanyahu, Merkel, stresses, two-state solution

Comments, reported only by Merkel’s office, follow PM’s campaign vow to annex settlements, rejection of Palestinian statehood

Binyamin Netanyahu and Angela Merkel

Times of Israel and AP report, “German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday his reelection and stressed the need to work toward a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Merkel’s office said she emphasized in a phone conversation the continued relevance of a two-state solution, which she said should be the goal of international efforts, after Netanyahu vowed in the final days of his reelection campaign last week not to allow the establishment of a Palestinian state, which he said would threaten Israel’s existence.”…

“A statement from Netanyahu’s office did not mention the two-state comments, but said Merkel had invited the prime minister to meet in Berlin after the new government is formed. The European Union on Monday also called for a renewal of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in the wake of the elections. In a statement, the EU said it would work with the sides “in order to make progress toward a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.”

“In interviews days before the elections last week, Netanyahu said he intended to gradually apply Israeli law to all settlements, and that he hoped he could do so with the agreement of the United States.” (more…)