In a meeting held today in the Knesset between Knesset Speaker Yoel Yuli Edelstein and former presidents, heads of state, and members of parliament, members of the "Friends of Israel Initiative," headed by Jose Maria Aznar, former president of Spain, Edelstein said that "the last few days have been marked by talks with the Palestinians and the American Secretary of State. We were willing to pay a heavy price. Not everyone was sure that the decision to release terrorists was right. The Americans were willing to release Jonathan Pollard after 29 years - for them, this is a very significant step. This is a general call that came from the right and the left in Israel.""
"As for the Palestinians," said Knesset Speaker Edelstein, "no one knew what they intended to do, other than their commitment not to approach the UN with unilateral steps during the negotiations. The decision of the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to sign an application to join international organizations is a blatant violation of the conditions for the renewal of negotiations, as the Palestinians pledged not to take unilateral steps to achieve international recognition during the talks.".
In a meeting in his office, Edelstein addressed claims that Israel is an "apartheid state," saying, "This is a nickname that can be given to any democratic country in the world. If you turn Israel into a monster, you can turn any democracy in the world into a monster." He added that former heads of state, as more moral people, would be able to explain the truth about Israel to the world.
One participant commented that the political stalemate had led to undesirable consequences for Israel vis-à-vis the European Union. In response, Edelstein replied that "the agreements between the EU and Israel are of common interest to both parties and are also a benefit to the European Union." Edelstein emphasized that "the agreements cannot be described as a justification for the European Union" and stated that "it is a mistake to throw the negotiations on the agreements between the European Union and Israel.""
Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo expressed his agreement with Edelstein's words, stating that "we are here because we defend democracy, our values and interests." Aznar expressed the personal commitment of those present "to the continued existence of the State of Israel, to its democracy and its future.""
In response to the remarks of another participant in the meeting, Edelstein said that contrary to various prophecies that spoke of the difficulties in the current government, which does not constitute a natural connection, "We have a young Knesset, and MKs do not tend to go to elections only a year after being elected, unless something extraordinary happens. It seems that the government will remain intact in the near future.""
Edelstein said that in the past year he has made contact with various parliaments and even tried to invite parliaments from Arab countries to visit the Knesset. "Not to discuss the issues of borders or Jerusalem, but to talk about issues such as agriculture, health, energy, and more," Edelstein shared, mentioning the Knesset's many initiatives, foremost among them the "Green Knesset" project - a project that the Knesset has adopted, making it one of the few parliaments in the world committed to such a project.
Former Spanish President José María Aznar founded the "Friends of Israel Initiative" following a delegitimization campaign against Israel, which was supported by many international institutions. The leaders of the initiative are not Jewish, but are convinced that Israel is part of the Western world and plays an important role in the future of the West. In addition to the former Spanish President, the meeting was attended by Alejandro Toledo, former President of Peru, Lord William David Trimble, former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and Nobel Prize winner, and Prince Karl Schwarzenberg, former Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic.
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