Netanyahu Urges Settlers to Obey Law

Just a day after the fatal Kiryat Arba attack that left four innocent Israelis dead, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington where he will participate in direct negotiations with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Netanyahu was briefed about Tuesday evening’s shooting in a telephone conversation with Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday.

Prior to a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, Netanyahu addressed his fellow Israelis. “At this time, as the entire Israeli nation is united in its deep grief over the murder of four innocent people, I call on all elements to practice restraint and responsibility and honour the rule of law,” said Netanyahu. “We came here to find a real solution without any preconditions. There is no room to abandon the talks over an issue, which could be raised as part of the negotiations and solved as part of the permanent agreement”

Also on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the murder of the four victims. “This attack must be recognized for what it is - a cynical and blatant attempt to undermine the direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations starting tomorrow,” Ban’s spokesman said in a statement. Ban also called upon both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to show “leadership, courage, and responsibility to realize the aspirations of both peoples.”

Earlier on Tuesday night, Netanyahu met with the Quartet’s Middle East envoy Tony Blair and with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Prime Minister clarified that the cabinet decision on the settlement construction freeze which ends September 26 will remain unchanged. “You cannot take the Judea and Samaria settlement issue, which belongs to the permanent agreement, and separate it from the other issues at the very beginning of the direct talks,” Netanyahu told Clinton.

“Israel is not demanding that the Palestinian Authority take over the Gaza Strip as a condition for entering the peace talks, and is not presenting other excuses which may halt the negotiations. On the contrary.” Clinton, who also condemned Tuesday’s fatal terror attack, thanked Netanyahu for his leadership and “for seeking a different future for the children of Israel.”

“Some of the reasons why the Prime Minister is here today are to engage with those Palestinians who have rejected violence to peace,” Clinton said. “These kinds of acts can not be allowed to continue.”