Germany's Merkel: Israeli-Palestinian peace plan won't 'be laying on the table tomorrow'

German chancellor says hope is still not lost for bringing Israel and Palestinians together on a peace plan.

By REUTERS
Updated: APRIL 20, 2016 10:07
Germany's Merkel: Israeli-Palestinian peace plan won't 'be laying on the table tomorrow
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that hope is still not lost for bringing Israel and the Palestinians together on a peace plan, but it will not happen soon.
"I have said, what's important is that we have permanent diplomatic initiatives that draw on all possibilities, even the most unlikely which can arise every day, to bring this into action the process of bringing these two states closer to solutions. Even if all the last attempts have failed, that's why it's very unlikely for a peace plan to be laying on the table tomorrow," Merkel said at a joint news conference with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Berlin.
A monthly meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the Middle East deteriorated into a shouting match on Monday as Israeli and Palestinian envoys yelled "shame on you" at each other across the chamber.
With US efforts to broker a two-state solution in tatters since 2014 and Washington focused on the presidential election, France has been lobbying countries to commit to a conference that would get Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations about ending their conflict.
Abbas thanked the Germany for its "continuous support ... to put us in the position to build our state institutions, to lay the groundwork for a permanent infrastructure for our future nation."
The PA president will be in New York this week to sign a global climate agreement. He is expected to meet with French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines, diplomats say, and will likely discuss the Palestinian draft resolution.