Housing Minister Uri Ariel
Housing Minister Uri ArielNissim Lev

Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) reiterated on Sunday evening remarks he made earlier in the day, that all negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) should come to an end until the PA drops its unilateral statehood bid.

Speaking at a meeting of the central committee of the Tekuma faction which he heads and which ran on a joint list with the Jewish Home party, Ariel said that the Jewish Home would not agree to continue talking with the PA so long as it does not withdraw its applications to 15 international conventions.

"I say clearly - we will not accept continued negotiations with the Palestinians if they do not withdraw their appeal to the UN,” he declared.

"We will continue to protect the citizens of Israel and the Land of Israel and we will not compromise on the security of the state and its citizens," stressed Ariel.

The peace talks reached a critical point last week, when PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas requested to join 15 international agencies in breach of the talk conditions.

In response, Israel cancelled the fourth terrorist release "gesture" which had been put on hold last Saturday, due to the lack of progress in the talks and popular opposition to the move.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman of the Yisrael Beytenu party said that his party would prefer holding elections than going forward with the fourth terrorist release.

“We cannot return to this kind of arrangement whereby we release terrorists to keep the talks with the Palestinians going, considering the moves they have made recently,” Liberman said at the Jerusalem Post conference.