The German government has said ahead of a visit next week by Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu that urgent action is needed on Israeli settlements in the West Bank in order to move towards peace in the Middle East.
“We and our partners the Americans have made very clear that we see the settlements issue as one of the biggest impediments to a two-state solution,” German foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke said yesterday. Mr Netanyahu is due to hold talks with chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Thursday, during the second leg of a trip that will start in London.