Binyamin Netanyahu laid out his vision to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict.

In brief, it's a fine speech, making many needed points, but it fails on the critical point of prematurely accepting a Palestinian state.

Here are some of the high points, important statements eloquently articulated:

·                    "The greatest danger confronting Israel, the Middle East, the entire world and human race, is the nexus between radical Islam and nuclear weapons."

·        "the root of the conflict was, and remains, the refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own, in their historic homeland."

·        "The closer we get to an agreement with [the Palestinians], the further they retreat and raise demands that are inconsistent with a true desire to end the conflict.

·        "The claim that territorial withdrawals will bring peace with the Palestinians, or at least advance peace, has up till now not stood the test of reality."

·        "Palestinian moderates are not yet ready to say the simple words: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, and it will stay that way."

·        "a fundamental prerequisite for ending the conflict is a public, binding and unequivocal Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people."

·        "there must also be a clear understanding that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside Israel's borders."

·        The principles that guide his government's policy: "Palestinians must clearly and unambiguously recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people" and "The territory under Palestinian control must be demilitarized with ironclad security provisions for Israel."

The problematic section concerns the acceptance of the two-state solution. The Israeli government should also require, at the least:

1.    A complete overhaul of messages coming from textbooks, classrooms, media, sermons, political rhetoric, and the other areas of public Palestinian discourse, eliminating the anti-Semitism, the anti-Zionism, and the incitement while condemning terrorism and other acts of "resistance."

2.    A protracted era in which Palestinians do not engage in violence against Israelis.

3.    Normal relations in such areas as trade, tourism, sports, and scholarly exchanges.

4.    A good-neighborly foreign policy.

Extracts from article by Daniel Pipes  -  http://www.JewishWorldReview.com

NETANYAHU’S SPEECH SUFFERED FROM TWO FLAWS

OBAMA'S LOSING STREAK AND ISRAEL

 - BY CAROLINE B. GLICK

 June 16/09.  NETANYAHU'S SPEECH was a much-needed strong defense. But it was not a perfect defense. It suffered from two flaws that may come back to haunt the premier in the years to come. First, his demand that the US lead the international community in guaranteeing that the Palestinian state is demilitarized provided the Obama administration with a new means to trick Israel into making suicidal concessions.

The other problem with Netanyahu's speech is that by accepting the idea of a Palestinian state, and embracing Obama's fantasy that it is possible to reach a deal with the Palestinian Authority, Netanyahu blocked the possibility that Israel will be able to forge a new policy that will move it to a more advantageous status quo in the coming years. That is, Netanyahu's conditional acceptance of Obama's false and ideologically motivated two-state paradigm damns Israel to the position of foot dragger in relation to someone else's policy rather than trailblazer for its own policy.

FULL ARTICLE>  http://jewishworldreview.com/0609/glick061609.php3

PALESTINIAN/ARAB RESPONSE

PA: “Netanyahu Sabotaging Talks”

A spokesman for Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas accused Netanyahu of harming Israel-PA talks by insisting that Jerusalem remain the undivided capital of Israel and that millions of foreign Arabs claiming the right to live in Israel be settled elsewhere.

"Netanyahu's remarks have sabotaged all initiatives, paralysed all efforts being made and challenges the Palestinian, Arab and American positions," said spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah.

The PA secretary, Yassir Abed Rabo, called Netanyahu's speech “worthless,” and insulted the PM personally, calling him “a fraud, a cheat and a liar.”
Senior PA negotiator Saeb Erikat said that “Netanyahu will have to wait a thousand years before he finds a Palestinian who agrees to his suggestions. He has unilaterally eliminated all of the final status subjects like Jerusalem, refugees and security.”

“Netanyahu not partner for peace”

  PA officials condemned Netanyahu's policy speech as a "plan for war and a continuation of conflict" rather than the proposal for peace he repeatedly declared it was.

PA legislator Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, a medical doctor trained in the former Soviet Union and Jerusalem, gave the prime minister low marks, saying Netanyahu had proved "once again" that he is "not a partner for peace," and that Netanyahu created "nothing but obstacles"

The PA legislator said he was "absolutely disappointed." He said he had been "hoping we would hear some real flexibility." Netanyahu "did not commit himself to freezing settlements" as Obama and other world leaders have demanded, he pointed out. Nor did Netanyahu express willingness to negotiate on any part of Jerusalem.

Barghouti especially slammed Netanyahu's unwillingness to absorb the immigration of five million Arab refugees, one of the issues the PA lawmaker named as the "core of the problem."

But he saved his greatest contempt for the prime minister's proposal that the PA accept a demilitarized state, saying it would leave the PA "unable to control its own borders" -- a situation he deemed entirely untenable. "If you put all the elements together," Barghouti said, "what you have is nothing but a plan to continue an apartheid system. He did not speak about a state. He spoke about a ghetto."

Barghouti said that ultimately, Netanyahu's plan would leave PA Arabs with no hope for a final status agreement with Israel, which he said would lead the next generation back to "the struggle."  Source:  A7News / Arutz Sheva