MIDEAST-CRISIS/NETANYAHU MERKEL Merkel says Israeli settlements "counterproductive"

Record ID: 135779

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/NETANYAHU MERKEL Merkel says Israeli settlements "counterproductive"
  • Date: 21st October 2015
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (OCTOBER 21, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL AND ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "I would like to express our sincere condolences for the victims of terror attacks in Israel. Just today,
  • Embargoed: 5th November 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA14LKFEPUC3SKJUTBZ2Q7R3FHL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (October 21) that the building of Jewish settlements was counterproductive and urged Israel and the Palestinians to calm the situation after weeks of violence.
    "I have said this quite often that as regards the two-state solution we consider the settlements to be counterproductive," Merkel the Israeli Prime Minister at a joint news conference. "I have said this time and again. We have to do everything to calm down the situation and in this spirit I think all sides need to make a contribution."
    Netanyahu told reporters that "terrorists ... want to kill Jews and destroy the state of Israel altogether. I wish it weren't so. Israel wants peace. I want peace," the Israeli prime minister said.
    On Thursday, he was expected to hold meetings in Berlin with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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