Netanyahu: World community must demand Palestinian ‘accountability’

Netanyahu, after meeting with the German president, slammed the glorification of terror and incitement to violence by the Palestinian Authority, adding that the world community must demand “accountability” from its leadership.

Following his meeting Sunday with visiting German President Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement to the press, slammed the glorification of terror and incitement to violence by the Palestinian Authority (PA), adding that the world community must demand “accountability” from the PA.

Steinmeier’s visit was an opportunity to mend a recent rift between the two countries. Less than two weeks ago, Netanyahu canceled a meeting with German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who, during his visit to the Jewish state, insisted on keeping his appointment with two extreme-left wing groups critical of Israel.

Asked to choose between Netanyahu and anti-Israel NGOs that call IDF soldiers “war criminals,” Gabriel chose to meet with the latter.

Steinmeier played down the recent tensions, saying that ties between Germany and Israel were “solid and can withstand all challenges.”

The relationship is “so broad that I think they can endure some turbulence like that taking place in the last 14 days,” he added.

“Equally we have developed a great economic partnership,” Netanyahu responded. “We are two advanced technological societies. We have much to gain by seizing the future together, and I don’t think we need to recommend German know-how to Israelis, nor do we need to recommend Israeli innovation to Germans. We both understand the advantages of progress.”

As for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “We would like to seize the future for peace as well. This is something that has been achieved partly with two of our neighbors,” he said, referring to Jordan and Egypt. “We’d like to complete the circle of peace, but we recognize that for there to be peace, we have to educate our children for peace. We do so in Israel. I wish that the same were true of the Palestinian Authority. Just a few weeks ago, the Fatah Facebook praised the Munich massacre,” the kidnapping and murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics in 1972, “as a heroic act. It wasn’t – and praising it is not a heroic act and it goes against the possibilities of peace.

“What we’d like to see is a change and the change would come from international demand for accountability from the Palestinian Authority, and ask them to back their words outside with words inside,” Netanyahu continued. “That is: Teach their children peace. Peace is what we seek and peace is what we hope we can get with your help and the help of other leaders who will ask such a change of heart that is so important for our common future.”

By: Adina Katz, World Israel News

Palestinian incitementPalestinian terrorSigmar GabrielSteinmeier