Support for the Middle East peace process
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle stopped off for talks in Israel and the Palestinian territories on the first leg of his trip to the Middle East and North Africa. The focus was on restarting the Middle East peace process. Other key issues included the situation in Syria and regional stability.
In Jerusalem on 17 May, Foreign Minister Westerwelle met with the Israeli President and Prime Minister, Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanyahu, for an intensive exchange of views. He had previously held talks with other Government members in Tel Aviv. In addition to meeting the new Finance Minister, Yair Lapid, Westerwelle also spoke to Tzipi Livni, former Foreign Minister and now Justice Minister of Israel. Livni is the Israeli Government representative responsible for the Middle East peace process and talks with the Palestinians.
Help revive the Middle East peace process
The Minister’s talks in Israel – as later his appointments in Ramallah – focused on a single issue: reviving the Middle East peace process following the latest initiative presented by US Secretary of State John Kerry on behalf of the US Administration, which aims to restart direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians with the long-term goal of a two-state solution. Germany supports the efforts of the United States. In his talks with President Peres, Westerwelle stressed that the peace process was of great importance not only to the Israelis and Palestinians, but also to the entire world. He said:
"We Germans strongly support the initiative launched by US Secretary of State John Kerry. Now is the time for us to discuss what specific actions we could take to help ensure that genuine use is made of the window of opportunity which is now opening."
Creating a climate of trust
In Ramallah, Westerwelle met with Salam Fayyad, caretaker Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. There too, his talks focused on efforts to restart the Middle East peace process. Another issue they discussed was inter-Palestinian reconciliation. On the sidelines of his visit to the West Bank, Foreign Minister Westerwelle issued the following statement on the unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and the new US initiative:
"Germany wants to help ensure that this peace initiative can succeed. The most important thing is to make direct talks possible again. To that end we need a climate of trust, and that’s where Germany can help."
Westerwelle made it known that Germany was willing to provide classic diplomacy to support the process.
In the run-up to the visit, Foreign Minister Westerwelle had spoken on the telephone on 15 May to President Mahmoud Abbas, who briefed him at length on the Palestinian position regarding the current peace initiative launched by the US Administration under Barack Obama.
Foreign Minister Westerwelle travelled on to his next stop in Algeria on 18 May.
Country: Germany, Israel
Subject: Peace process, Peace proposals and efforts, Statehood-related
Publication Date: 24/05/2013