BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday warned that attempts to boycott Israel would only damage the prospects of a peace agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Speaking at the start of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that efforts to boycott Israel will “cause the Palestinians to become entrenched behind their obstinate positions and push peace farther away.” He added that, “no pressure will cause me to give up Israeli vital interests, first and foremost the security of Israeli citizens.”

Netanyahu’s comments came a day after US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at the Munich Security Conference and addressed the peace talks between Israel and the PA, a process which he has largely facilitated. Kerry warned that “Today’s status quo, absolutely to a certainty, I promise you 100 percent, cannot be maintained … It is not sustainable. It is illusionary.” He commented that “for Israel there is an increasing de-legitimization campaign that has been building up. People are very sensitive to it, there is talk of boycott and other kinds of things,” implying that such a campaign would gain traction if peace talks should fail.

Israeli political leaders responded forcefully to Kerry’s comments. Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz told reporters that they were “offensive and unacceptable” and that Israel cannot negotiate with “a gun against its head.” Economy Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett was also critical, saying “We expect our friends … to stand by our side to face the anti-Semitic attempts to boycott Israel, not to be their mouthpiece.” However, Labour MK Merav Michaeli blamed Netanyahu for the volatile rhetoric surrounding boycotts, saying “Netanyahu exposed us to the threat of sanctions … Israeli security is a fantasy if we don’t have a diplomatic treaty, and that includes our economic security.”

Late yesterday, US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki emphasised Kerry’s “proud record of over three decades of steadfast support for Israel’s security and well-being, including staunch opposition to boycotts” and called for “all parties to accurately portray his record and statements.”