Rudd calls for extra effort in peace talks

FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has urged the Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators to not let the opportunity for peace go to waste.

“Australia calls upon all parties to put their shoulder to the wheel to seize the historic opportunity that now presents itself to bring about a lasting peace,” a spokesperson for Rudd said late on Tuesday.

Direct peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are teetering after a 10-month moratorium on building in Jewish settlements in the West Bank was not extended.

It was reported in the Israeli press on Tuesday that while Abbas is determined for talks to continue, he has firmly laid the blame on the Israelis for the current setback.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu, who held discussions with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and French President Nicolas Sarkozy about the talks, said he continued to believe peace was attainable within a year.

Rudd added the Gillard Government is hopeful of a two-state solution.

“The Australian Government’s position remains constant: a settlement must allow both Israel and a future Palestinian state to live side by side in peace and security. The Government’s position is guided by Australia’s strong support for Israel’s security, the Middle East peace process and a two-state solution,” his spokesperson said.

NAOMI LEVIN