EU worried over peace commitment
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The Associated Press
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 24, 2009 00:00
BRUSSELS - European Union officials raised concerns yesterday over the commitment of Israel's hard-line Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue genuine peace talks with Palestinians.
"We can have a bit of a rough start, but we need to move ahead with the peace process," Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra told reporters.
The foreign ministers want to ensure a new Israeli government sticks to previous commitments to set up an independent Palestinian state as part of a final peace deal. Franco Frattini, Italy's FMsaid, it was "not possible" for Netanyahu to ditch plans to give the Palestinians a separate state alongside Israel.
Negotiator sacked
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has sacked Israel's lead negotiator on a Gaza Strip truce for publicly criticizing the Israeli leader's handling of the talks, Olmert's office said yesterday - a move that threatens to set back the already troubled contacts.
Amos Gilad, a veteran Defense Ministry official, objected to Olmert's recent demand that Palestinian militants free Sgt. Gilad Schalit before Israel signs a truce agreement cementing the shaky cease-fire that ended Israel's recent war against Gaza's Hamas rulers.
The foreign ministers want to ensure a new Israeli government sticks to previous commitments to set up an independent Palestinian state as part of a final peace deal. Franco Frattini, Italy's FMsaid, it was "not possible" for Netanyahu to ditch plans to give the Palestinians a separate state alongside Israel.
Negotiator sacked
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has sacked Israel's lead negotiator on a Gaza Strip truce for publicly criticizing the Israeli leader's handling of the talks, Olmert's office said yesterday - a move that threatens to set back the already troubled contacts.
Amos Gilad, a veteran Defense Ministry official, objected to Olmert's recent demand that Palestinian militants free Sgt. Gilad Schalit before Israel signs a truce agreement cementing the shaky cease-fire that ended Israel's recent war against Gaza's Hamas rulers.