Settlements are instruments of war, of conquest, of confiscation by force. They are incompatible with peace. A total freeze of all forms of settlement activity, land seizure and closure is a basic condition of success for the impending negotiations, where we will discuss the future of the existing settlements. This applies equally to Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is also on the agenda of our talks. Allow me, dear friends, to say a word about international legality.
International legality is indivisible.
The UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, all International Treaties are equally binding for all and everywhere. And it is an indispensable parameter in the search for a durable peace, even more so for reconciliation. This is a matter we must remember when we approach the drawing of a just solution to the issue of Palestinian Refugees, on the basis of UN General Assembly Resolution 194. It does not sum it up. There will be no real and durable peace relations between Israel and the rest of this area unless an Independent, Sovereign Palestinian State with Holy Jerusalem as its capital becomes a central element of regional stability.