World

Netanyahu says no immediate way forward for Mideast peace

A peace process to end nearly 70 years of conflict between Israel and Palestine has stalled for more than a year

Afp November 11, 2015

A peace process to end nearly 70 years of conflict between Israel and Palestine has stalled for more than a year. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on a visit to Washington, on Tuesday voiced pessimism about the prospect of peace with the Palestinians, suggesting the current stalemate was likely to remain in place.

A peace process to end nearly 70 years of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has stalled for more than a year, when the latest US attempt at mediation failed.

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"Any deal, or any arrangement, unilateral or negotiated, must have Israel maintain the ability to defend itself by itself against threat, including from territories that are ceded," Netanyahu said.

"That's the most important provision," he added. "That is something that I don't see the Palestinians accepting now."

The Israeli leader, known to be aligned with Republicans in Congress, was speaking at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in the US capital.

His comments came amid growing violence that has raised fears over the potential for a new Palestinian uprising.

The unrest has seen 10 Israelis and at least 77 people on the Palestinian side -- one of them an Israeli Arab -- killed since October 1.

Netanyahu said that his settlement freeze "didn't help" in restarting peace talks, adding that Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas "didn't come to the table."

The international community has condemned Israeli settlement building as a threat to the Middle East peace process by eroding the basis for a future Palestinian state.

When a question came from the audience about Jerusalem -- another key point in any agreements envisaged in the past -- Netanyahu motioned that he did not want to broach the matter.

"There the question of Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount, I think it's insoluble. I just don't see right now a solution for that," Netanyahu said in reference to Palestinians who see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

"I think it has to remain under Israeli sovereignty, and that's the only way to prevent this from exploding."

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During a meeting with US President Barack Obama at the White House Monday, Netanyahu tried to bury suggestions -- fueled by his own re-election campaign comments -- that he does not support the creation of a Palestinian state.

For decades, the prospect of a two-state solution has been the bedrock of peace efforts. Netanyahu had infuriated the White House by suggesting that prospect was dead.

"I want to make it clear that we have not given up our hope for peace. We'll never give up our hope for peace," Netanyahu said.

COMMENTS (1)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply According to the report, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on a visit to Washington, on Tuesday voiced pessimism about the prospect of peace with the Palestinians, suggesting the current stalemate was likely to remain in place. Obviously, Benjamin is determined to keep full possession and control over the whole of the illegal occupied territory, and shows no willingness to return even an inch of it to the Palestinians, and keeps making life increasingly difficult and miserable for the Palestinians through the barrier wall and strategically placing its settlements in a way that would not leave a contiguous piece of land for Palestinians to establish their state on. Obviously, with no powerful group showing much willingness to restrain Israel from taking such steps, there can’t be much hope for a peaceful settlement. However, while Israeli leaders are responsible for this state of affairs, even greater responsibility for creating these circumstances lies with the American leadership and governments which reward defiance of the world opinion by Israeli leaders by continuing to extend unqualified support to Israel at the United Nations Security Council apart from increasing its civilian and military aid. Like for example despite scuttling various peace initiatives under previous US governments and even during barack Obama’s reign, and Benjamin Netanyahu’ rejection of any peace initiative even now, US government is working on aid package to Israel which is likely to raise civilian aidl from the present level of $ 3 billion annually to $ 5 billion. Moreover, there are plans to supply Israel stealth fighter jets to enhance its capacity to attack Iran and other neighbours. Of course all this is in addition to the missile defence system and other military aid to Israel. The US also keeps a huge stockpile of ammunition in Israel, which the US keeps replenishing, to ensure that Israel never runs out of ammunition while raining down bombs on Gaza or others In these circumstances, just why would Israel show any inclination towards a just solution to the Israel-Palestinian problem which would require it to return at least some of the illegally occupied Palestinian territory. Unfortunately the other pressure group like the European Union and other powerful Western states, while very vocal about human rights and things like that, they chose to remain completely oblivious to the atrocities committed on hapless Palestinians by Israel on daily basis and limit their support to Palestinians to symbolic gestures like limited boycott of products from occupied territories and some humanitarian aid. And the attitude of Muslim states towards Palestinians is not much different. No wonder the misery of the Palestinians continues, increasing with each passing day Karachi

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