Merkel criticizes Israeli settlement building plans

Mar 15, 2010, 15:16 GMT

Berlin - German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized Israel on Monday for plans to build new homes on occupied West Bank land, after holding talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Berlin.

'We have suffered a serious blow to the question of proximity talks between the Palestinians and Israel,' Merkel said of last week's decision to approve the building of 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem.

The chancellor said she had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a phone call that the decision could disrupt the entire Middle East peace process.

'I hope the signals from Israel are constructive in future and don't continue to be so negative that they prevent such discussions from taking place,' Merkel said, voicing unusually harsh criticism.

Hariri also expressed his concern at the developments.

'I stand here today with a concerned heart. I see very little movement in the peace process,' Hariri said, adding that he saw 'extremists strengthening their audience, every day that we fail to achieve progress.'

The best way to help Lebanon, Hariri said, was by making 'credible progress on the Palestinian track.'

'We have been - and continue to be - among the first victims of the failure to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict,' the Lebanese premier said.

'The credibility of the international community is compromised today,' Hariri warned, adding that everybody stood to lose if the issue was not resolved.

'We need to breathe life into a process that so desperately needs resuscitation,' he added.

The leaders also discussed Germany's involvement in United Nations peacekeeping operations off the coast of Lebanon and addressed ways of cooperating further in the border region.

Germany has been active in Middle East peace moves this year, with Merkel holding talks with Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak.