“But in order for there to be peace, the other side must decide that they also want peace, and unfortunately that is not what we are seeing”.
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Mr Netanyahu warned Sweden that there would be a sharp diplomatic response after the country’s foreign minister suggested Israel had unlawfully killed Palestinians involved in a recent surge of street violence.
He added that the Palestinian Authority is continuing incitement against Israel.
Deadly attacks have rocked the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel for more than two months following Israeli incursions into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound. It came after a scorching speech to the forum the previous evening by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warning that Israel’s settlement policies were leading toward a one-state outcome.
Secretary of State John Kerry caused consternation in Israel when he said the nation threatens to implode if a two-state solution is not reached with Palestinians, drawing the ire of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“If the Israelis don’t hurry up to implement the two-state solution on the ground, they will lose”, said Ahmed Qurei, a longtime Palestinian negotiator.
“An Arab terrorist tried to run over a pedestrian in his auto, lightly injuring him, and then got out of the vehicle with a knife and stabbed a volunteer police officer in the hand”, said a police statement. Scores of Israeli soldiers died in the conflict, along with several civilians.
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom blamed Israel for conducting “extrajudicial executions” of Palestinians.
“I denounce the outrageous comments by the Swedish foreign minister”, Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu condemned the comments, calling them “scandalous” and said that “apparently the Swedish minister expects Israelis to present their necks to those who want to stab them”. “It will not happen and we will continue to protect the lives of Israelis”.
That’s because while Israel proper – the area defined by 1949 cease-fire lines that ended the war surrounding Israel’s establishment – has roughly 6.3 million Jews and 1.7 million Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Without a two-state solution, Kerry said Israel would be forced into an unsustainable position of perpetual occupation that would be rejected not least by the Palestinians but by most, if not all, of the global community. “Israel has the right and the obligation to defend itself”, he said.
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The secretary of state made the remarks a week after visiting Jerusalem and Ramallah, a trip during which he failed to secure willingness on the part of Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to take confidence-building measures.
