A Knesset lobby calling itself “Land of Israel Caucus” held a special session after the formal decision to resume direct peace talks with the Palestinians, and reiterated Israel’s interest in continuing the illegal settlement construction and expansion activities in occupied Palestine.The group said that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are fruitless, and will never lead to any positive outcome.
Several members of Knesset and heads of Jewish settlements in occupied Palestine participated in the session.
Head of the Caucus, MK Yariv Levin, stated that the government on Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the release of Palestinian political prisoners before resuming direct talks, and claimed that this decision violates the fundamentalist Israeli condition that peace talks should resume without preconditions.
Furthermore, MK Nissan Slomiansky of the Jewish Home Party stated that Israel should not hold talks with the Palestinians, claiming that both Israel and the Palestinians are not ready for direct talks, therefore, talks would not lead to any breakthrough.
Slomiansky added that Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed to the Jewish Home Parliamentary Bloc that he did grant any commitment to freezing Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem.
