During a Tuesday meeting in Brussels between a delegation of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, MK Tzachi Hanegbi (Likud), chairman of the Knesset committee, stated that the current terror wave in Israel “is not leading us anywhere,” adding that “there is not one Israeli who does not want peace with the Palestinians, but this calls for a return to the negotiating table in order to discuss all the disputes, with a brave leader on the other side who openly agrees to relinquish the Palestinians’ right of return to the State of Israel’s territory.”
Hanegbi advised the MEPs that measures aimed at pressuring Israel, such as the labeling of goods produced in Judea and Samaria, do not contribute to the peace process and only encourage Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas not to restart negotiations.
Hanegbi stressed that Israel is the only democratic anchor amid the instability in the Middle East. Hanegbi added that while Hezbollah is embroiled in the Syrian civil war, it remains prepared along Israel’s border with Lebanon, and the relative calm is fragile. He noted that Israel is providing humanitarian assistance to Syrians, and said that in any case President Bashar Assad should not remain in power due to his responsibility for mass killings in his country.
Turning his attention to the nuclear agreement between the world powers and Iran, Hanegbi said it is not a good deal, but for now Israel and the West must make certain that Iran lives up to its commitments under the agreement.
The Israelis and European lawmakers agreed that the dialogue between the committees should be conducted on a regular basis in order to exchange ideas and opinions.