German FM says US proposal raises questions that need to be addressed

Germany’s foreign minister is reacting cautiously to the Middle East peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump, saying it raises questions that need to be addressed.

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas says in a statement that “only a negotiated two-state solution that is acceptable to both parties can lead to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.” He adds that “on that basis, every impetus laid out in such a way as to set the long-stalled Middle East peace process in motion again is to be welcomed.”

Maas says the US proposal “raises questions” that Germany will discuss with its European partners. Those, he says, include the involvement of the two sides in a negotiating process and “its relationship to recognized international parameters and legal positions.”

— AP