Mideast ‘Quartet’ Urges Restart of Peace Talks
The “Quartet” of Middle East peace mediators urged a prompt resumption of talks between Israel and the Palestinians after a meeting in Munich on Sunday and voiced concern about the slow pace of reconstruction in Gaza, damaged in last year’s war.
Talks broke down last April with the Palestinians angry at continued building of Jewish settlements in occupied territory and Israel furious at attempts to bring Hamas, which officially denies Israel’s right to exist, into the Palestinian government.
“The Quartet underlined the importance of the parties resuming negotiations as soon as possible,” the group comprising the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia said in a joint statement after their meeting in Germany.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Russia’s Sergei Lavrov and deputy U.N. head Jan Eliasson reiterated that talks must respect Palestinian aspirations for statehood and Israel’s security concerns.
“The Quartet is deeply concerned over the difficult situation in Gaza where the pace of reconstruction needs to be accelerated to address the basic needs of the Palestinian population and to ensure stability,” said the diplomats.
They urged donors to disburse the more than $5 billion in aid for the Palestinians pledged last October in Cairo to repair damage from the war in the tiny coastal territory. More than 2,100 Palestinians and 73 Israelis died in the fighting.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
