Israel: Peace talks should precede statehood bid
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STORY: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday (Sept. 23) that he was reaching out to the Palestinian people but cautioned that peace could not be won with a U.N. resolution.
He addressed 193-nation assembly, shortly after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application for full U.N. membership to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon despite Israeli and U.S. objections.
"The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state," he said.
Netanyahu added that if there was such a peace, "Israel will not be the last state to welcome a Palestinian state into the United Nations. We will be the first."
He also made an appeal to Abbas for direct peace talks with the Palestinians to begin without delay in New York. Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed a year ago. The Palestinians pulled out after Israel refused to extend a moratorium on new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
STORY: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday (Sept. 23) that he was reaching out to the Palestinian people but cautioned that peace could not be won with a U.N. resolution.
He addressed 193-nation assembly, shortly after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted an application for full U.N. membership to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon despite Israeli and U.S. objections.
"The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state," he said.
Netanyahu added that if there was such a peace, "Israel will not be the last state to welcome a Palestinian state into the United Nations. We will be the first."
He also made an appeal to Abbas for direct peace talks with the Palestinians to begin without delay in New York. Direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed a year ago. The Palestinians pulled out after Israel refused to extend a moratorium on new Jewish settlements in the West Bank.