ISRAEL RESPONDS TO THE QUARTET REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST PEACE:

The Prime Minister's Office said on Friday 1 July 2016: Israel "welcomes the Quartet's recognition of the centrality of Palestinian incitement and violence to the perpetuation of the conflict. This culture of hatred poisons minds and destroys lives and stands as the single greatest obstacle to progress towards peace. Israel shares the Quartet's historical commitment to advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace through direct, bilateral negotiations without preconditions. In previous agreements, Israel and the Palestinians committed to discuss every difficult issue exclusively through direct, bilateral negotiations. Nevertheless, the record shows a history of repeated Palestinian rejection of offers to negotiate and compromise from Israeli governments across the political spectrum. Israel cannot negotiate peace with itself.

We regret the failure of the Quartet to address the real core of the conflict: the persistent Palestinian refusal to recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people in any boundaries. The report also perpetuates the myth that Israeli construction in the West Bank [Judea & Samaria] is an obstacle to peace. When Israel froze settlements, it did not get peace. When Israel uprooted every settlement in Gaza, it did not get peace. It got war. It is troubling that the Quartet appears to have adopted the position that the presence of Jews living in the West Bank [Judea & Samaria] somehow prevents reaching a two-state solution. The presence of nearly 1.8 million Arabs in Israel isn't a barrier to peace; it is a testament to our pluralism and commitment to equality." (Prime Minister’s Office)