By IRNA,
London : Foreign Secretary William Hague said Thursday he was dismayed by the failure of the US to persuade Israel to freeze illegal settlements in the occupied territories but would continue to work with Washington for a two-state solution.
“I am disappointed that Israel has not renewed the freeze on settlement construction and that peace talks are currently on hold,” Hague said.
“It is Britain’s longstanding view that settlements are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace,” he said following the US embarrassing admission it was not even able to stop more illegal settlement being built in the West Bank let alone in east Jerusalem.
The US, like the majority of the international community, has always sought to appease Israel’s belligerence and defiance of international law.
Former British prime minister, Tony Blair, representing the Quartet of the UN, US, Russia and EU, went as far as saying that the dropping of the demand was ‘sensible … in the light of the impasse that we reached.’
Israel’s renewal of a moratorium on partial freeze on illegal settlement building was set as a pre-condition to return to direct negotiations being brokered by US President Barack Obama.
Hague said that there was an “urgent need for progress to secure a two state solution, based on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the future capital of two states and with a fair settlement for refugees.”
“We will continue to work with the United States, the parties to the conflict and with our EU and UN partners to achieve a two state solution,” he said. “The leadership of the United States remains vital,” he insisted.
The foreign secretary said that despite the US failure, Britain will “continue to press for an end to all settlement activity.”