Tel Aviv, October 13 (RHC)-- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sabotaged the mission of a delegation of Mideast Quartet diplomats, who were set to arrive in the occupied territories to help end the ongoing violence there.
“The Israelis told us that this is not a good time to talk about diplomatic matters,” a Western diplomat told the Israeli media on Monday after reports that the envoys from the Middle East Quartet, which comprises the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia, had been told by the Israeli premier to cancel their trip to the occupied territories this week.
The envoys planned to hold discussions with Israeli and Palestinian officials in order to try to help calm the unrest that has plagued the occupied territories especially the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the recent weeks.
“Apparently they were also concerned that the visit of Quartet envoys would increase international pressure on Israel,” the Western diplomat said.
On Sunday, Netanyahu told European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in a telephone conversation that the diplomats’ visit to the occupied territories was not feasible.
In a statement on Sunday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed Israel’s “indiscriminate or deliberate” use of fire on observers and Palestinian demonstrators. “Indiscriminate or deliberate firing on observers and demonstrators who pose no imminent threat violates the international standards that bind Israeli security forces,” said Kenneth Roth, the executive director of the international rights group.
