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Merkel criticizes Israeli settlement building plans
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 06 - 03 - 2010

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Israel
on Monday for plans to build new homes on occupied West Bank land,
after holding talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in
Berlin, according to dpa.
"We have suffered a serious blow to the question of proximity
talks between the Palestinians and Israel," Merkel said of last
week's decision to approve the building of 1,600 new homes in East
Jerusalem.
The chancellor said she had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in a phone call that the decision could disrupt the entire
Middle East peace process.
"I hope the signals from Israel are constructive in future and
don't continue to be so negative that they prevent such discussions
from taking place," Merkel said, voicing unusually harsh criticism.
Hariri also expressed his concern at the developments.
"I stand here today with a concerned heart. I see very little
movement in the peace process," Hariri said, adding that he saw
"extremists strengthening their audience, every day that we fail to
achieve progress."
The best way to help Lebanon, Hariri said, was by making "credible
progress on the Palestinian track."
"We have been - and continue to be - among the first victims of
the failure to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict," the Lebanese
premier said.
"The credibility of the international community is compromised
today," Hariri warned, adding that everybody stood to lose if the
issue was not resolved.
"We need to breathe life into a process that so desperately needs
resuscitation," he added.
Other issues included Iran's controversial nuclear enrichment
programme, and the question of sanctions to prevent the development
of nuclear weapons.
Merkel said she had made clear Germany's position that, "we are
reaching the phase where there should be sanctions against Iran,
because Iran has not accepted any of our constructive offers."
"We believe that any country that seeks peaceful nuclear power is
within their right," Hariri countered, adding that Lebanon would
decide on its position together with the Arab League, once it became
clear what sanctions were planned against Iran.
The leaders also discussed Germany's involvement in the United
Nations' peacekeeping operation (UNIFIL) off the coast of Lebanon and
addressed ways of cooperating further in the border region.
"I will advocate that we should usefully deploy UNIFIL for as long
as the Lebanese government thinks this is right," Merkel said.
The chancellor welcomed the appointment of a Lebanese cabinet
minister responsible for security and economic development projects
in the border region. Both leaders stressed the importance of
investing in the area.
"In the end we can secure the borders but we need to make sure
that the people living in the borders have jobs, healthcare, a social
life," Hariri said, welcoming German cooperation on such projects.
During his visit to Berlin, Hariri is also due to meet Foreign
Minister Guido Westerwelle and Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu
Guttenberg, as well as the head of the German parliament.
Germany has been active in Middle East peace moves this year, with
Merkel holding talks with Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas and Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak.


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