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Cameron calls to congratulate Netanyahu

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Prime Minister David Cameron spoke on the phone yesterday to re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his victory.

According to a Downing Street spokesperson, Cameron told his Israeli counterpart that he was looking forward to working with the new Israeli government and the two leaders discussed the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, “agreeing that it was essential to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.”

Cameron also reiterated the UK’s support for a two-state solution and the belief that this represents “the best way to achieve a lasting peace and to secure Israel’s long-term security and prosperity.” This follows the concern expressed in Washington at remarks made by Netanyahu during the election campaign which indicated his rejection of a Palestinian state being established while he was Prime Minister. Netanyahu has since sought to qualify those comments significantly, telling American media outlets that he was simply concerned that, with the chaos of today’s Middle East, a Palestinian state could easily become a terror-state on Israel’s doorstep. He said in one interview: “I don’t want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution. But for that, circumstances have to change.”