Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday blamed the Palestinians for the impasse in the peace process, saying "I'm ready to begin negotiations immediately, but the Palestinians are doing all they can to avoid direct negotiations," Israel Radio reported.
Speaking during a meeting with his Belgian counterpart Yves Leterme, Netanyahu said that the Palestinian refusal to begin negotiations was an error on their part "because they need peace as much as we do." The prime minister stated that he was willing to go to Ramallah for peace talks.