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.
Texas Republican Calls Fort Hood Shooting An 'Enemy Attack On American Soil'
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) introduced a bill Tuesday that would recognize the victims of the Fort Hood shooting as combat casualties and, if approved, could strengthen the argument that the incident should be considered a terrorist attack.
Carter, whose district includes the Fort Hood military base, said in a press conference that the bill would grant concessions for beneficiaries of all the military officers killed or wounded.
The status would also allow military victims to receive a Purple Heart and non-military victims to receive the Secretary of Defense Medal of Freedom, which is the civilian equivalent.
"They were basically taken out early in the combat," Carter said. "As far as I'm concerned, this was an attack by an enemy upon American troops on American soil."
Though Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was charged on Thursday with killing 13 and wounding 29, has been rumored to have ties to a radical Muslim group in Yemen but many lawmakers have criticized the accusations, calling them premature.
"I think we should call things what they are," Carter said. "I don't think we should worry about hurting people's feelings. No one is saying the term 'terrorism' has the word Muslim in it."
Lawmakers say they do not expect much opposition to the bill since it’s main focus is helping the victims.