Israel and the Palestinians will have to make painful concessions in order to reach a peace agreement, but compromise is the only way to honour the legitimate interests of both parties. This was the message conveyed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen in his speech to the annual conference of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in Washington, DC.

The Netherlands supports American efforts to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The minister pointed out that the contours of a peace agreement were already visible: a secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state based on the borders of 1967.

Mr Verhagen cautioned that the growing influence of Iran made peace talks even more necessary. The Netherlands favours tighter sanctions if Iran continues to defy the demands of the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

But, as the minister argued in his speech, the international community also has a right to expect something from the Israeli government: ‘The current settlement policy is counterproductive and casts doubt on Israel’s good faith.’

The minister was presented with a gift of appreciation by Richard Sideman, the president of the AJC, in recognition of his efforts to promote human rights and peace in the Middle East.

The AJC works to promote human rights and fight anti-Semitism and all other forms of discrimination and racism. The organisation supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The other speakers at the conference were US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Israeli Minister of Defence Ehud Barak and Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Moratinos.



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