Czech foreign minister holds talks with Palestinian representatives

During talks with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah on Thursday Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek condemned the continuing acts of violence between Israelis and Palestinians and urged the two sides to resume their peace-talks on a two-state set up. Mr. Zaorálek said that acts of violence, similar to the one that killed one person and wounded three others in Jerusalem on Wednesday, only led to an escalation of tension. At the same time he said acts of humiliation on the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem only stirred up fresh violence. On a visit to the Aida Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem, the Czech foreign minister described it as a “ticking bomb”. The Czech Republic has not officially recognized the Palestinian state and maintains that a lasting solution to the conflict can only come through peace talks between the two sides.