Qatar FM Condemns Israeli Settlements
The Qatari Foreign Minister, Khaled al-Attiya, criticized Israel’s ongoing construction of illegal settlements as being an obstacle to achieving peace. The remarks were made Sunday in a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, at the U.S. embassy in Paris.
"What we noticed, that each time a round of negotiations is supposed to start, it’s preceded by a declaration of continued settlements, or the announcement of the establishment of new settlements. And this is a source of concern for us, and directly affects the negotiations," said al-Attiya.
There are about 500,000 Jews living in the West Bank. Just last month, Israel approved the construction of 1,200 new settlement homes.
The settlements are considered illegal under international law, and are the reason for the halting of the last direct peace talks in September 2010.
The U.S. has been seeking to re-initiate the talks, which resumed on July 29.
Qatar has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause. It was one of the nations to support the Palestinian bid for UN membership last year.
During the conference, the FM also expressed support for the Syrian people.
"As for Syria and what Qatar is willing to provide, Qatar is currently studying with its friends and the United Nations what it could provide in order to protect the Syrian people."
Source: www.State.gov
Image: PressTV
