Israel Calls for Palestinian Concessions in Peace Talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Sunday that the peace process with the Palestinians was not "frozen," but said he was waiting for Palestinian concessions to move the talks forward.
"They're not frozen. We're talking," the Israeli leader said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.
But "it's time to talk about Palestinian concessions, too. Like recognizing the Jewish state," Netanyahu said.
"You want us to recognize the Palestinian state for the Palestinian people. How about recognizing the Jewish state for the Jewish people," he said.
Direct talks resumed in June after a three-year hiatus due primarily to Palestinian refusal to hold negotiations while settlement expansion continued.
Since then, Israel has announced plans to build thousands of new settler homes in the occupied West Bank -- territory the Palestinians want for their future state under any peace deal.
Last week, the peace process suffered a fresh blow after the entire Palestinian negotiating team resigned in protest against continued Israeli settlement building.
A day earlier, Israel canceled plans to build 20,000 new settler homes in the West Bank, hours after their announcement sparked U.S. and Palestinian criticism.
Source: Agence France Presse
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