These points were reiterated by then-US Secretary of State John Kerry in his December 28 speech, and subsequently in the January peace conference held in Paris, which was one of the largest peace conferences ever held in terms of high-level participation.
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Whatever pretexts are used, the reality is that calls for moving the embassy ultimately have less to do with American policy or national security considerations than with cultural and ideological ones. USA human rights ambassador Keith Harper said at the time that the resolution was “far outside” the council’s mandate and highlighted its “one-sided nature”. “It will cause Israel to be seen as an apartheid state, which it is not”, Rivlin reportedly said during a meeting.
“Sovereignty over the state needs to happen collectively, for all its citizens”, Rivlin said.
Turkey and Israel signed a reconciliation pact in October 2016 which normalized relations between the two countries, ending a almost six year crisis sparked by a deadly raid on Turkey’s Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara flotilla by Israeli navy commandos in 2006.
“Glick wrote that in the present political climate, “…
Iran, Syria, Russia, Sunni Arab regimes and the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) are on the agenda, in that order, she explains.
Israel, one of the richest nations in the world, has received more aid, since 1948, from the US than any other country, with no accountability. However, this will be their first official meeting and Netanyahu hopes – after eight years of often estranged relationship with the former president Barack Obama – that Trump would be a better ally for Israel. “Reaffirm that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under global law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace”.
On Friday, Trump told an Israeli newspaper that “going forward with settlements” is not a “good thing for peace”, a position that puts him far closer to traditional USA policy than before. It will affect settlements or outposts built in “good faith” or on instructions of the government and will deem those lands as government property.
“They [settlements] don’t help the process”, he told the Israel Hayom newspaper, which on Friday published excerpts from the interview. While it may have some domestic political or cultural appeal, from the standpoint of USA interests, the peace process, and regional stability, moving the embassy would come at an exceptionally high cost with little or no benefit. “It has obviously been out there for many, many years, and nobody has wanted to make that decision”. “I would like to see a level of reasonableness of both parties, and I think we have a good chance of doing that”.
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“Strongly concerned about the future of peace and justice in the Holy Land, the Latin Patriarchate calls on leaders to take decisive decisions in favour of peace, justice and dignity for all”, the statement said.
