British Foreign Secretary Calls for Palestinian State, Shared Jerusalem

During a visit to Cairo on Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband called for a “viable and strong” Palestinian state, saying it was crucial to the security of Israel and the entire Middle East. Speaking one day before Palestinian factions were scheduled to begin reconciliation talks, Miliband encouraged the groups to come together to form a unity government. Miliband’s remarks regarding the Israeli-Palestinian track were controversial from the Israeli perspective, calling for “a Palestinian state… based on the 1967 borders, and that Jerusalem should be the capital of both states."  He also offered support for the Arab peace initiative first announced in 2002 and re-launched last year.