Comment on "Irresponsible Israel" (China Daily, Dec 26)

Israel remains fully committed to achieving peace with the Palestinians, based on the principle of two states for two peoples. The only way to achieve such a peace is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' approach to the UN General Assembly's request that Palestine be recognized as a non-member state was a blatant violation of the Oslo Accords, under which any change in the Palestinians' status is to come about only through negotiations with Israel.

Under such circumstances, including the upraise of Hamas, a "terrorist organization" in the West Bank, Israel has the obligation to safeguard its security interests, including the E1 area which is a small 4.6 square miles corridor connecting Jerusalem to a Israeli town with a population of 40,000.

Ran Peleg, spokesman at Embassy of Israel, via fax

(China Daily 01/07/2013 page9)