Thursday, May 19, 2011

Text Of Israel's Response To Obama's Middle East Speech

Here is the text of Israel's reaction to Obama's speech today:
Israel appreciates President Obama’s commitment to peace. Israel believes that for peace to endure between Israelis and Palestinians, the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of the viability of the one and only Jewish state.

That is why Prime Minister Netanyahu expects to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, which were overwhelmingly supported by both Houses of Congress.


Among other things, those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines which are both indefensible and which would leave major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria beyond those lines.

Those commitments also ensure Israel’s well-being as a Jewish state by making clear that Palestinian refugees will settle in a future Palestinian state rather than in Israel.

Without a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem outside the borders of Israel, no territorial concession will bring peace.

Equally, the Palestinians, and not just the United States, must recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people, and any peace agreement with them must end all claims against Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will make clear that the defense of Israel requires an Israeli military presence along the Jordan River.

Prime Minister Netanyahu will also express his disappointment over the Palestinian Authority’s decision to embrace Hamas, a terror organization committed to Israel’s destruction, as well as over Mahmoud Abbas’s recently expressed views which grossly distort history and make clear that Abbas seeks a Palestinian state in order to continue the conflict with Israel rather than end it.
Initial indications are that Netanayhu is not going to roll over and welcome Obama's speech.

Instead Netanyahu wants:
  • Confirmation of President Bush's 2004 promise that Israel would not have to withdraw to 1967 lines
  • Confirmation of President Bush's 2004 promise that descendants of Palestinian refugees would settle in a Palestinian state, not in Israel
  • Palestinian recognition that Israel is a Jewish state
  • An Israeli military presence along the Jordan River
All this means of course that Netanyahu will be labeled a hawk once again, having the temerity to insist on
  • Past US promises being kept
  • Solid measures to insure Israeli security instead of vague promises--in the face of a 'moderate' peace partner who has just allied himself with terrorists who fire rockets at civilians
That's right: Netanyahu is the hawk--Abbas is the guy Israel should be making unilateral concessions to so that he will benignly deign to sit a table with Netanyahu, and make more concessions.

Such is the world we live in.

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3 comments:

NormanF said...

Israel has to take a stand or commit national suicide.

Defending Israel's national interests will make Netanyahu very unpopular with the Obama Administration and some American elite circles.

But peace cannot be achieved with Israel giving until the country has nothing left to give.

Netanyahu should stand his ground. Only then would he be worthy of his paycheck as Prime Minister.

Sometimes in life you have to say "no" and look out for yourself. This is what Israel needs to do.

Anonymous said...

israel today is scared of exactly the same thing the Palis were in the 1940s and what it would do to their homeland.
The only difference is that terror worked for the zios

Daled Amos said...

israel today is scared of exactly the same thing the Palis were in the 1940s and what it would do to their homeland.
The only difference is that terror worked for the zios


Not clear what you are referring to:
If the 1940's--there is ample documentation that the Arabs encouraged their own to leave then-Palestine

If you are referring to what Israel is afraid of--that would be the massacres of Jews at the hands of Arabs, in Hebron for example.