No Berlin recognition for unilateral Palestinian state

Apr 7, 2011, 12:51 GMT

Berlin - Germany would not recognize a Palestinian nation that unilaterally declares itself a state, Chancellor Angela Merkel promised Thursday after talks with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinian officials have said they may declare statehood in September. Israeli officials say Netanyahu's current diplomacy is aimed at thwarting this, by appealing to western allies not to recognize any declaration.

Merkel told reporters Germany supported a two-state solution, with a Jewish and a Palestinian state side by side, but added, 'Unilateral recognition is in no way whatever a help to get towards this essential objective.

'That is our position now and it will be our position in September.'

Asked about the current standstill in the Mideast peace process because of Jewish settlements on the West Bank, Netanyahu said the settlements should not be seen as 'an insurmountable obstacle,' but gave no other hint of a change in his position.

Merkel, who had publicly urged Netanyahu during a visit to Israel in January to shift his stance on the peace issue, said in Berlin, 'It is my firm belief that the standstill has to be overcome.'

The chancellor referred to 'controversy' during her latest meeting with Netanyahu but did not say what it was.

'We had very friendly, very direct, sometimes very controversial talks,' she said.

Israeli government sources previously denied reports of a tense and angry telephone conversation last month between Netanyahu and Merkel.

Netanyahu called for a 'united front' against Iran.

'Every effort should be made to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons because our hopes for positive change in the region will be fatally shot down if Iran remains immune, develops nuclear weapons and begins to subvert all movements towards modernity and democracy in the rest of the Middle East,' he said.

Merkel agreed that Germany was determined that Iran should not obtain nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu was also scheduled to visit Prague on Thursday for meetings with Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Petr Necas.

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