Netanyahu attempts a peace offering (2 Viewers)

[Jessica14]

[FONT=&quot]Israeli PM lays out peace terms[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has called for the creation of a demilitarised Palestinian state, saying this would be key to peace between Israel and the Palestinians.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]In his much-anticipated policy speech on Sunday, Netanyahu called for the immediate resumption of peace talks between the two sides.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"In my vision of peace, two people live in good neighbourly relations, each with their own flag ... Neither threaten the other's security," he told his audience at Bar-Ilan University, outside Tel Aviv.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"In any peace agreement, the territory under Palestinian control must be disarmed, with solid security guarantees for Israel."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Netanyahu called for [/FONT][FONT=&quot]"immediate negotiations for peace without prior arrangements" [/FONT][FONT=&quot]"from the Palestinians, and said he was willing to meet Arab leaders anywhere to discuss the issue.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"I call the leaders of the Arab nations to co-operate with the Palestinians and with us on economic peace," he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Palestinian reaction[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah in the West Bank reacted angrily to Netanyahu's demands.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, dismissed the speech, saying: "Netanyahu's remarks have sabotaged all initiatives, paralysed all efforts being made and challenges the Palestinian, Arab and American positions."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Saeb Erekat, the Palestinians' senior negotiator, called on Obama to intervene to force Israel to abide by previous interim agreements that include freezing settlement activity in the West Bank. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"The peace process has been moving at the speed of a tortoise. Tonight, Netanyahu has flipped it over on its back," he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This is the first occasion that Netanyahu has endorsed the creation of a Palestinian state, but many see a disarmed Palestinian state as handing too much power to Israel.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Netanyahu did not accept the principle of a two-state solution," Lamis Andoni, Al Jazeera's Middle East analyst, said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"He reduced the concept of a Palestinian state to that of a demilitarised entity that would remain under Israeli control.

"This is at best a formula to establish a Palestinian Bantustan that will not end the Israeli occupation but would legitimise Israeli control."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]'Brothers and sisters'[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Israel and the Palestinians relaunched peace negotiations at the Annapolis conference in the US in November 2007.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But the talks made little progress and were suspended during Israel's war on Gaza in December and January.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Palestinians have said that they will not restart negotiations unless Netanyahu publicly backs the two-state solution and stops the building of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] In his speech, Netanyahu briefly defended Jewish settlers, a bloc from which he draws much support, calling them "our brothers and sisters". [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]He said there would be an end to new settlement building, but vowed that Jerusalem would remain undivided.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Addressing Palestinian, Netanyahu urged them to recognise Israel as a Jewish state.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people and so it shall remain," he said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jacky Rowland, Al Jazeera's Jerusalem correspondent, said: "Significantly, it seems like the word 'Palestinian state' was something rather sour tasting that Netanyahu didn't want to have in his mouth.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"It was only at a very late stage in the speech he actually said 'we would be prepared to work towards a real peace agreement to establish an independent state living alongside Israel'. But only then if the Palestinians recognised Israel as a Jewish state and if the Palestinian state was to be completely demilitarised.

"So, heavy conditionality from an Israeli prime minister who didn't seem to actually want to utter the word 'state' at all."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Response to Obama[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Netanyahu's speech had been heralded in Israel as a response to the address 10 days earlier by Barack Obama, the US president, to the Muslim world, in which he vowed to pursue a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Obama's speech raised fears in Israel at the time that Washington might qualify its support to its ally in a bid to improve its relations with the Muslim world.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But Hady Amr, the director of the Brookings Doha centre, said Netanyahu's speech fell well short of Obama's address[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"Ten days ago, when President Obama spoke, there was so much hope, there was so much vision. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"He spoke about America's failings over the years ... There was none of that in this speech," Amr said.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"I think this is a sad day for the Jewish people, the Palestinian people, the Arab people, the Israeli people, because this speech does not bring us closer to peace.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"What it does is it lays down conditions. I guess it sets the tone that this is not the Israeli government that's going to make peace ... I think it's a sad day for the peoples of the region."[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]But Mark Regev, the Israeli government's spokesman, defended Netanyahu's speech, noting that the prime minister had clearly signalled his acceptance of a Palestinian state.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Speaking to Al Jazeera from Jerusalem, he said: "Palestinians can bring their positions to the table. We will bring our positions to the table. This [policy speech] is an important move forward. If all the moves are to come from Israel, then this problem will not result in a resolution."[/FONT]

I suppose that Netanyahu finally addressed the need for a Palestinian state, but this speech feel far short of achieving anything remotely in that vicinity. A disarmed state is not so different to now. I was hoping for more from this speech, but it seems that peace talks between the two nations may became stagnant.

 

[Jessica14]

And for people who don't wanna read the long article above that is, unfortunately, all in italics:

-A Palestinian state would be demilitarised
-Palestinian refugees would be resettled outside of Israel
- Jerusalem will remain undivided

-Palestinians must recognise Israel as a Jewish state

 

[jb_nc]

thx for the tiny text in the article

 

[Jessica14]

I'm sorry. I copy and paste and this is what happens.

Here's the link:


Al Jazeera English - Middle East - Israeli PM lays out peace terms

 

[xeuyrawp]

And for people who don't wanna read the long article above that is, unfortunately, all in italics:

thx for the tiny text in the article

Wtf is wrong with you people? You [quote ] someone and it comes in italics. As for the tiny text, Ctrl+mousewheel. ? Quit your whinging.

 

[Jessica14]

The italics just made small text hard to read. The summary just makes things easy to read, but it's kind of not the point of this thread.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Fucking Netanayhu. Just give up the settlements already and this pathetic war will be over.

 

[Ben Netanyahu]

will jerusalem be under israeli control?

and permit me to indulge in my scepticism, but a demilitarised palestinian state sounds a bit like a peace offering of no more importance than a facade

 

[Uncle]

Ben Netanyahu has spoken.
Resume consuming your kebabs in peace.

 

[Laika_]

fuck i wish i had a kebab right now

garlic and bbq sauce

 

[JonathanM]

will jerusalem be under israeli control?

and permit me to indulge in my scepticism, but a demilitarised palestinian state sounds a bit like a peace offering of no more importance than a facade

Jerusalem will never be divided again under this Government.

It's not the best offer, anyone can see that - the Palestinians have to give up the right of return, parts of the West Bank and accept a demilitarised state. However, it is something from Netanyahu, that would likely have not occured were it not for American pressure and I think that if the Palestinians want a proper state in his term, they should run with it. The only improvement to this deal under a Netanyahu Government would be a freeze on settlements - I think Netanyahu is willing to do this and is just holding it back as a bargaining chip.

Recognising Israel as a Jewish state is a given to any deal imo and a Palestinian state should start out as demilitarised, but eventually be allowed to become a military state. Shared East Jerusmalem FTW.

 

[Tully B.]

Ben Netanyahu has spoken.

Which one?

 

[Kwayera]

The italics just made small text hard to read. The summary just makes things easy to read, but it's kind of not the point of this thread.

You can go through the article and remove all the formatting tags, you know.

 

[Ben Netanyahu]

Jerusalem will never be divided again under this Government.

It's not the best offer, anyone can see that - the Palestinians have to give up the right of return, parts of the West Bank and accept a demilitarised state. However, it is something from Netanyahu, that would likely have not occured were it not for American pressure and I think that if the Palestinians want a proper state in his term, they should run with it. The only improvement to this deal under a Netanyahu Government would be a freeze on settlements - I think Netanyahu is willing to do this and is just holding it back as a bargaining chip.

Recognising Israel as a Jewish state is a given to any deal imo and a Palestinian state should start out as demilitarised, but eventually be allowed to become a military state. Shared East Jerusmalem FTW.

basically the palestinians get nothing and the israelis get everything they already have though, amirite?

 

[JonathanM]

basically the palestinians get nothing and the israelis get everything they already have though, amirite?

Nup. In the current plan the Palestinians get an official Palestinian state and Israel will pretty much withdraw any existing occupation in the West Bank. A little haggling and they might get the whole West Bank and only a short term demilitarised period, even under the Netanyahu Government.

It is depressing for the Palestinian people though, I think their leadership have let them down. During the Camp David Agreement, Ehud Barak offered significantly more than Netanyahu is offering today and during Annapolis, Ehud Olmert offered even more than in Camp David, almost 100% of the pre-1967 Palestinian land back, and Mahmoud Abbas turned that down. When will they accept?! Surely they realise that if they accepted, and then ran a succesful state for 10 years or so, eventually they would probably reach the ultimate goal of a shared East Jerusalem. Instead they've essentially chosen bickering for another 10 years before a deal is reached.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Didn't America require Japan to demilitarise after WW2? It's still part of their constitution in fact!

Yet they've got an army now. It should be like Japan. Have a peacekeeping force to begin with, not an army.

 

[44Ronin]

Most people seem to think sheer domination is what is appropriate in the political sphere; and they are not ashamed to practice in regard to outsiders what they recognize is neither just nor expedient in their dealings with each other as individuals. For their own affairs, among themselves, they demand an authority based on justice: but in regard to outsiders justice is no concern of theirs.

 

[Sicherhetsdient]

Didn't America require Japan to demilitarise after WW2? It's still part of their constitution in fact!

Yet they've got an army now. It should be like Japan. Have a peacekeeping force to begin with, not an army.

And what do you suggest? That fascists across the border provide security for the exact same people it wishes to eliminate? pfft

 

[JonathanM]

And what do you suggest? That fascists across the border provide security for the exact same people it wishes to eliminate? pfft

Oh come on, ffs. It's quite clear what he's suggesting, that there be a temporary period of demilitarization.

You're capable of making arguments that aren't full of generalisations, so argue them.

 

[Sicherhetsdient]

Oh come on, ffs. It's quite clear what he's suggesting, that there be a temporary period of demilitarization.

You're capable of making arguments that aren't full of generalisations, so argue them.

Its more than that, and you know it. This is the typical games the Zionists play where they propose a fucked up 'peace plan' on their terms, which shows them looking for peace.

We all know and Israelis themselves know that the Palestinians will reject this farce labeled as "peace". However, knowing Israel and the global media, Palestine will be made to look evil which will in turn also manage to delay any real solutions and further the Jewish expansion and extermination ambitions.