Monday
Nov092009
Netanyahu Calls For Immediate Peace Talks With Palestinian Authority
Monday, November 9, 2009 at 4:02PM
By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service
Israeli Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he is ready to resume peace negotiations with Palestine immediately.
“I believe there is no time to waste, we need to move towards peace with a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose,” Netanyahu said during a speech for the Jewish Federations of North America.
Netanyahu urged the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to stop insisting on preconditions for peace negotiations.
“My goal is not to have endless negotiations,” Netanyahu said. “It is high time we stop negotiating about the negotiations, let’s get on with it.”
Palestinian leaders have insisted that Israel freeze settlement in West Bank before peace talks can resume. Netanyahu criticized Abbas for rebuffing Israel’s concession to freeze the building of some settlements as a precursor to talks.
"No Israeli government has been so willing to restrain settlement activity," Netanyahu said.
Without preconditions, negotiations have not resumed and time may be running out. Last week, Abbas said that he does not plan to run for re-election in January. This has raised concern that, without an appropriate predecessor, Palestinians will not have the leadership necessary to reach a Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement.
“We need a Palestinian partner that is as willing to shoulder the risks and burdens of making peace as we are,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said that his ultimate goal is to have Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
"What does the Jewish state mean for the Palestinians?" he said. "It means that they must recognize that the fantasy of flooding Israel with refugees is gone, that they give up iridescent claims to the Negev and the Galilee, and that they declare irrevocably that the conflict is finally over," he said.
Recognizing Israel as a Jewish state is a key issue Palestinian leaders have resisted. Critics say that such a recognition would enable prejudice against Israeli Arabs.
Netanyahu said peace is possible, but that talks must begin promptly to be effective.
“I say to Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority: Let us seize the moment to reach an historic agreement. Let us begin talks immediately,” Netanyahu said.
Israeli Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he is ready to resume peace negotiations with Palestine immediately.
“I believe there is no time to waste, we need to move towards peace with a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose,” Netanyahu said during a speech for the Jewish Federations of North America.
Netanyahu urged the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to stop insisting on preconditions for peace negotiations.
“My goal is not to have endless negotiations,” Netanyahu said. “It is high time we stop negotiating about the negotiations, let’s get on with it.”
Palestinian leaders have insisted that Israel freeze settlement in West Bank before peace talks can resume. Netanyahu criticized Abbas for rebuffing Israel’s concession to freeze the building of some settlements as a precursor to talks.
"No Israeli government has been so willing to restrain settlement activity," Netanyahu said.
Without preconditions, negotiations have not resumed and time may be running out. Last week, Abbas said that he does not plan to run for re-election in January. This has raised concern that, without an appropriate predecessor, Palestinians will not have the leadership necessary to reach a Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement.
“We need a Palestinian partner that is as willing to shoulder the risks and burdens of making peace as we are,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said that his ultimate goal is to have Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
"What does the Jewish state mean for the Palestinians?" he said. "It means that they must recognize that the fantasy of flooding Israel with refugees is gone, that they give up iridescent claims to the Negev and the Galilee, and that they declare irrevocably that the conflict is finally over," he said.
Recognizing Israel as a Jewish state is a key issue Palestinian leaders have resisted. Critics say that such a recognition would enable prejudice against Israeli Arabs.
Netanyahu said peace is possible, but that talks must begin promptly to be effective.
“I say to Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority: Let us seize the moment to reach an historic agreement. Let us begin talks immediately,” Netanyahu said.
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