Israel's response to Obama ?

Prime Minister Netanyahu and his policy? observations from Daniel Pipes

Binyamin Netanyahu's speech - - - Full text of Netanyahu speech

Comments - ICEJ

Netanyahu accepts 'two states' but with firm preconditions

Demands demilitarized Palestinian state, PA recognition of Jewish state

Responding to rising challenges from the Obama administration, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a landmark policy speech at Bar-Ilan University on Sunday
evening in which he finally endorsed the concept of a future Palestinian state for the first
time, but conditioned his acceptance on the demilitarization of such a state, backed by
"ironclad" international security guarantees, as well as Palestinian recognition of Israel as
the Jewish homeland.
Under growing pressure to respond to US President Barack Obama's recent address in
Cairo and repeated US calls for an Israeli settlement freeze, Netanyahu answered with a
speech that many in Israel applauded as a solid defense of Zionism and a clear statement
of the current national consensus.
The Israeli premier first identified the threat of Islamic radicals acquiring nuclear weapons in
Iran or elsewhere as a danger not just to Israel, but "the greatest threat to humanity."
Turning to the question of whether Israel exists today primarily as a response to the
Holocaust, as suggested in Obama's speech to the Muslim world on June 4, Netanyahu
insisted that Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people for over 3500 years. Israel
is "the land of our forefathers… where our identity was forged," he stated.
"The right of the Jewish people to a state in the Land of Israel does not derive from the
catastrophes that have plagued our people… There are those who say that if the Holocaust
had not occurred, the state of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the
state of Israel had been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred," said
Netanyahu.
He also refused to yield to US demands for a total halt to all Jewish settlement activity in the
West Bank. Assuring that no new settlements would be built and no new Palestinian lands
expropriated, Netanyahu also insisted that – until a final deal is reached with the
Palestinians – the residents of existing settlements must be allowed to "live normal lives."
He also praised the settlers as "neither the enemies of the people nor the enemies of
peace. Rather, they are an integral part of our people, a principled, pioneering and Zionist
public."
Netanyahu also held firm to traditional Likud red lines that Jerusalem "must remain the
united capital of Israel," and no Palestinian refugees will be allowed to return to Israel. Both
are emotional issues for Palestinians and likely a core source of their leaderships'
immediate hostility to Netanyahu's speech.
Nonetheless, on the US insistence that the Netanyahu government expressly endorse the
goal of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Netanyahu finally said what the
Obama White House wanted to hear, although it was accompanied by succinctly defined
conditions that he said were necessary to ensure a successful outcome of final status talks.
"If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitarization and Israel's security needs, and if
the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in
a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarized Palestinian state exists
alongside the Jewish state," he said.
In spelling out these "prerequisites" – which he clarified were not preconditions to holding
direct talks with the Palestinians that could begin immediately – Netanyahu demanded "a
public, binding and unequivocal Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the
Jewish people," and a demilitarized Palestinian state "with ironclad security provisions for
Israel" from the international community.
Netanyahu concluded that he too can now envisage a day when Israelis and Palestinians
can "live freely, side by side. Neither will threaten the security or survival of the other."
Many analysts in Israel assessed that the address aptly expressed the views of a majority
of Israelis, answered some of Washington's concerns, and aimed to throw the ball over into
the Palestinians' court – a side that was left seething by the lack of "defeatism" among
Israel's new leadership

Binyamin Netanyahu's position, a s stated at a press conference after his meeting with UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown 25th August 2009

This is an extract from Prime Minister Netanyahu's response, in which he appears to be giving away too much.

It wasn't easy to do, but this is what we have done in the short period of time, the four months that we're in office, so we have moved. We expect similar movement from the Palestinian Authority and certainly based on what we've seen in the recent Fatah conference there has not been that movement; that's an understatement. But there has to be that movement. There has to be not merely a partner on the other side, there has to be a courageous partner, because I think we've shown a certain amount of fortitude and leadership and that's what's required from the Palestinian side. They have to say unequivocally ‘it's over.  We are going to make a real peace. It'll be a final peace. It will be a peace that will end all claims to further conflict. It'll be a peace that will resolve the Palestinian refugee issue once and for all and just as Jews can come to Israel, Palestinians can come to the Palestinian state.' But not in Israel, because there has to be a Jewish state and if we're asked to recognise a Palestinian state as the nation state of the Palestinian people, it is absolutely essential that the Palestinian leadership says to the Palestinian people ‘you will have to accept Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people.' 

Recognition is the pivot of peace. The absence of such clear and forthright expressions by the Palestinian leadership of such recognition has been what has been holding peace up and this is what the people of and I think all fair minded people in the world expect. 

So, we have moved forward. We intend to move forward, but we expect the Palestinian partners to be courageous partners for peace that move forward. And with the help of our friends in the United States, in Britain and elsewhere, I think we can achieve progress that may confound the cynics and surprise the world, but there is no substitute for courageous leadership on all sides. 

This statement was deep within a mass of politicalspeak but it conveys the essence of the situation. IF the Palestinians can move forward ........

But we know that they won't - they told the world as much at the Fatah Summit in Summer 2009.

The Arab response ?