Steinmeier visits the Middle East for talks

 

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the Middle East for political talks. The Middle East Peace Process was the main topic of his discussions in Ramallah and Jerusalem.

 

In light of the latest tensions, the talks gave Steinmeier an overview of the situation and of possible prospects for continuing the peace process.

The German Foreign Minister met the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, on November 15. Over the course of the day, Steinmeier held further talks with Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki. With regard to the latest mediation talks in Jordan, he said: "I was very pleased that the aim of the talks in Amman the day before yesterday was to de-escalate the situation in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount. These would only be small steps, but they could smooth the way for us to address larger tasks, such as reconstruction work in the Gaza Strip, where many people are waiting for their ruined houses to be rebuilt."

 

Following the talks with Hamdallah, al-Maliki and a representative of a non-governmental organisation in East Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Steinmeier made clear that there was no alternative to further negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians:"There is no other option for peace here in the Middle East. And there is no other option than to establish, via negotiations, an independent Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel."

 

On November 16, Foreign Minister Steinmeier held talks with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and members of the Israeli Government: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. During his talks, Steinmeier underlined that the negotiations on a permanent ceasefire must be resumed once the first steps to ease the tensions have been taken: "In my view, the deadlocked ceasefire negotiations in Cairo must urgently be resumed. This is also in Israel’s interest. After the end of the Gaza conflict, there was almost total consensus between us that it would be wrong to simply revert to the status quo. Endeavours must be made to achieve a permanent ceasefire following the Gaza conflict. This work must urgently be restarted."

 

Steinmeier said some interlocutors had expressed their disappointment during his two‑day visit to the Middle East “that the latest efforts to bring about peace had not been successful”. He added that young people in particular are waiting for “a plan for the future which finally promises peace” and stressed that “unilateral measures” cannot create “the basis for talks”.