Canada Supports Peace Talks Without Preconditions

John Baird, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, gave a speech Monday supporting the Israeli government's call for Palestinians to return to negotiations without preconditions.

"By resisting temptations to apply preconditions to talks and by avoiding measures that would seek to prejudge the outcome of the talks, the Palestinian leadership could immediately take steps toward a more measured, stable transition to statehood," Baird was quoted as saying.

Baird also said he was "proud" to watch Netanyahu's speech at the United Nations General Assembly last September. "One line in particular that resonated with me was the call to ’stop negotiating about the negotiations.’ "