Kerry on Knesset shake up: Whatever government forms should negotiate with Palestinians
"We hope that whatever government is formed is a government that can move towards resolving the differences between Israelis and Palestinians."
By JPOST.COM STAFFUS Secretary of State John Kerry speaks on the phone to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu(photo credit: REUTERS)
US Secretary of State John Kerry said he hopes a new Israeli government will prove fruitful to negotiations, the first American comment on Israel's government crisis."We hope that whatever government is formed is a government that will – or whether there are elections, that those elections will produce -- the possibility of a government that can negotiate and move towards resolving the differences between Israelis and Palestinians, and obviously, the differences in the region," he said while speaking Tuesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.Kerry emphasized, however, that he does not want to get involved in Israel's internal politics."I simply don’t comment on the internal politics of any country, and certainly not of a change in personnel within the Government of Israel," Kerry said of the recent government shake up."We will continue to be supportive of our friend and our ally, the state of Israel."Kerry's comments come in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's firing of ministers Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni, the resignations of the remaining remaining four ministers in Yesh Atid and the need to hold new Israeli elections.The Knesset will vote Wednesday on a preliminary reading of a bill to dissolve itself, which is expected to pass easily. A final reading of the bill could pass as early as next Monday.In addition, the heads of the Knesset factions will convene at the office of Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein to decide on a date for the next general election, expected to take place in March 2015.Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.
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