The Likud party on Sunday responded to remarks by President Shimon Peres
criticizing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for not finding a partner
for peace in Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Likud
said in a statement it is "regrettable that the president chooses to
express a political opinion that is detached from the Israeli public's
position regarding Abbas, who refuses to make peace."
They
continued to say it is "even more regrettable that the present chooses
to present [these opinions] in front of foreign diplomats, a political
stand that encourages condemnation for Israel in the international
community," adding that the prime minister has consistently called on
Abbas to return to the table, but Abbas has failed to even condemn the
firing of rockets on Israeli citizens by Hamas.
"It is a shame
the president did not explain to the foreign diplomats how his comments
on Abbas reconcile with the fact [Abbas] did not even condemn the firing
of rockets on Israeli citizens," the statement said.
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