Netanyahu says Israel taking concrete steps to jump-start peace talks

Netanyahu says he told EU leaders on his two-day visit to Europe that Israel is talking concrete steps to jump-start peace talks with the Palestinians.

When asked by EU leaders whether Israel was willing to make confidence-building gestures to the Palestinians, he says he told them: “We’re already doing it,” referring to infrastructure projects meant to improve the quality of life for residents of the West Bank.

Netanyahu goes on to say that all the leaders he spoke to condemned terrorism against Israel, speculating that it came in response to his statement over the weekend accusing Europe of “hypocrisy” and a “double standard” after they condemned Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem but failed to denounce rockets fired at Israel from Gaza.

Netanyahu also says he told the EU ministers that they must not support anti-Zionist NGOs that promote terrorism.

“I promised them a proper list of NGOs that do that,” he says, without mentioning any by name.

Netanyahu’s aides earlier this week had described Brussels as a “lion’s den,” but Netanyahu says he didn’t feel antagonism during his visit.

“I felt like a lion,” he quips.

— Raphael Ahren