Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met yesterday for three hours with US President Barack Obama at the White House. Prior to the meeting, Netanyahu placed the onus on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to bring about a lasting peace deal.
Speaking to the press alongside Obama, Netanyahu said, “What we want is peace – not a piece of paper” and called for “real peace … based on mutual recognition.” This he said meant that, “It’s about time the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state – we have only been there for 4,000 years.” Netanyahu added, “Israel has been doing its part, and I regret to say that the Palestinians haven’t … 20 years of peace process were marked by many Israeli steps for peace, but we got suicide bombers and rockets in return.”
Obama commended Netanyahu’s participation in “tough negotiations” with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and said, “It is still possible to create two states, a Jewish state of Israel and a state of Palestine, with people living side by side in peace and security.” However, he noted “it’s difficult. It requires compromise on all sides.”
Netanyahu also met yesterday with other senior American leaders including US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has spearheaded negotiations between Israel and the PA. Kerry later told the AIPAC policy conference that Israel’s security is paramount and “we will never let the West Bank turn into another Gaza,” from where rockets regularly threaten Israeli citizens.
Meanwhile, PA President Mahmoud Abbas told Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On that for peace talks to continue, Israel must institute a freeze on construction in the West Bank or free additional Palestinian prisoners beyond those already slated for release as part of a deal to re-start peace talks in July. Abbas met Gal-On yesterday in Ramallah and also told her that he expects Israel to absorb a limited quota of refugees and that he will turn to the United Nations and international organisations if Kerry’s plan doesn’t satisfactorily address core issues.
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