Israeli settlements expansion undermining Mideast peace process

Israeli settlement expansion policy is jeopardizing the Middle east peace process, warned Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and his Palestinian counterpart Dr Riyadh Al-Maliki on Sunday. "If Israel keeps its concept with regard of the Jewish identity of the state in addition other matters that it has been dictating, this surely means that we are reaching a deadlock in the currently held peace negotiations," Al-Maliki told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) and Kuwait TV on sidelines of the Arab Foreign Ministers coordination meeting, prior to their meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Israel's announcement of building new settlements shows clearly that it has no intention of achieving peace, he noted. It is impossible for Palestinians and all Arabs to accept Tel Aviv's concept with respect of the "Jewish state identity," said Al-Maliki, adding that they would not accept any solution that does not acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of the future state of Palestine. He indicated that the Arab ministers would affirm their stance regarding these basic issues during the meeting with Kerry, due to begin later on Sunday. Fahmy on his part told KUNA that Arab states' stance in support of the Palestinian cause is "common and unwavering," based on the international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, adopted at the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002. He also noted that determination on part of Kerry and the US Administration to follow up on the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis "is a positive factor in the negotiations, however, the negative aspect remains continuity of the settlement scheme that contradicts the principle of establishing two states." Israel revealed last Thursday plans to build 1,800 new homes for settlers in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. There are several unresolved issues between the two sides, such as the borders, eastern Jerusalem being thae Palestinian capital, and the Palestinian refugees' issue, said Fahmy. Kuwait's delegation for the Arab ministerial meeting with Kerry will be headed by First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. The meeting aims to discuss developments in the peace process, namely the talks between the Palestinians and Israelis. The meeting of the Arab Follow-up Committee with Kerry in Paris is the third of its kind since the Secretary of State succeeded in resuming the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations last July, after a three-year stalemate.