Netanyahu bows to Obama, accepts Palestinian "state"

[subsuelo]

Source: Reuters

RAMAT GAN, Israel (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday to uncommon pressure from Washington by finally giving his endorsement -- with conditions -- to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

But in a speech answering President Barack Obama's address to the Arab world 10 days ago, the right-wing leader's defense of Jewish settlement on occupied land may fail to dispel tension with the White House, as the two men try to set new terms for the Middle East peace process in their first months in office.

Obama called Netanyahu's shift in position on Palestinian statehood as an "important step forward," even as aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were denouncing the speech as "sabotaging" negotiations by restating Israel's refusal to share the city of Jerusalem or accept Palestinian refugees.

Netanyahu, who has refused to back a state for Palestinians since he took office in March, said he would now endorse the establishment of a such a state -- but only if Israel received in advance international guarantees the new nation would have no army and Palestinians recognized Israel as a Jewish state.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE55C2DL20090615

[and-justice-for-all]

1. Neither one should have claim to Jerusalem..period.

a two state solution is the only solution for any peace in that region.

[Suji to Seoul]

2. Never going to happen. . .let's make a plan for something pragmatic and realistic

not pie in the sky.

Neither will void their claims to Jerusalem.

[and-justice-for-all]

4. I disagree...

Splitting the country right down the middle and having a peace keeping forcing in Jerusalem, which neither side is to govern is the best solution.

[BlooInBloo]

3. I missed the speech - did Bibi lighten up on the asinine coniditions to be met?

The condition required previously reported were:

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/06/12/bibis_co...

" • Any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, without an air force, full-fledged army or heavy weapons.

• Palestinians may not sign treaties with powers hostile to Israel.

• A Palestinian state must allow Israeli civilian and military aircraft unfettered access to Palestinian airspace, allow Israel to retain control of the airwaves and to station Israeli troops on a future state's eastern and southern borders.

• Palestinians must accept Israel as a Jewish state, a nod to the hawkish side of Mr. Netanyahu's governing coalition that has raised concerns that the Palestinian Authority, which nominally governs the West Bank, does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state."


The first condition is sketchy. The third condition is just asinine. Bibi isn't proposing a Palestinian state, he's proposing a Palestinian zoo.

[JerseygirlCT]

21. No, I think all those conditions were reiterated

So he gets the "giving" headline, but really, with all those strings, it's not much of a gift.

He's going to be a tough one.

[uberblonde]

5. This is b.s.

This is nothing new, and the conditions have been rejected by the Palestinians in the past. I don't know what game Bibi is playing, but this is not a good-faith offer.

[Merryweather]

6. We don't need another Berlin

with a wall, armed guards, barbed wire and separated families. Because that's what Jerusalem would become if it were shared between Israel and the Palestinians. Personally, I think Jerusalem should be an independent city-state like the Vatican, seeing as it's a holy site for so many religions.

[stlsaxman]

7. Well that's exactly what you're getting in Gaza... "Wall" and all.

wha- you haven't heard about that?

[Merryweather]

9. I do know about that

But letting the Palestinians share Jerusalem still wouldn't solve it, it would just shift the battleground, as there's no way the two groups could live together in harmony in the city.

[Clio the Leo]

8. And he did it under the cover of the rest of the world paying attention to ..

..... the political turmoil of one of his enemies.

Any other day, it would have been the headline story. How lucky was he.

[Old Hob]

10. Have to admit, I'm torn on Israel

I'm not sure there is a really good solution to this problem. I'm pretty sure the best thing America can hope for is a temporary cessation of hostilities in the region in order to promote middle eastern stability in order to ensure unfettered access to the oil while our economy recovers. The last thing we want is bloody, indecisive, protracted warfare between Israel and anyone because I'm not sure our economy could handle the straight of Hormuz being closed off right now or a nuclear weapon going off anywhere.

[The Stranger]

16. I suppose one can be torn, yet still Progressive, supporting self-determination of peoples, and the

fundamental right people have to their own property.

Right?

[subsuelo]

18. and opposed to war crimes and land theft

(to be more specific in this situation)

[The Stranger]

19. That too.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[western mass]

11. Empty talk...what else is new.

US pretends to criticize, Isreal pretends to listen, and the slow, steady campaign of ethnic cleansing continues.

[Malikshah]

12. Leave it toe Reuters to have the shiteous headline

Netanyahu puts such vile pathetic caveats.

Palestinians must be completely demilitarized (read defenseless in all aspects)
Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state (adding to earlier recognitions)

Why not just require that they lay their heads in the sands and let the tanks roll over them.

Get it right Reuters-- Bibi agreed to the disagreeable as usual

[Odin2005]

13. A demillitarized "state" isn't a true state, soverign states have a right to self-defense.

And his position on settlements is unacceptable. Nut-n-Yahoo can go fuck himself

[Lucky Luciano]

14. Well Japan has been a pretty successful demilitarized state..

though the US has always been their defense if push ever really came to shove. Obviously this situation is different, but demilitarized does not necessarily need to mean that it is not a "true state."

[Odin2005]

17. Japan has a "defense force" that is a military in all but name.

And no one could order them to not change their constitution to allow themselves to expand their military, they just donlt because they don;t need to, they rely on us pretty much to defend them out of choice now days, not coercion.

[gtar100]

15. Another stupid, right-wing headline from Reuters

Is everything a sport? Is there always a "winner" and a "loser"? No consideration for dialogue and working together to make progress given the opportunity that has opened up.. Making concessions and expressing concerns is not "bowing" to Obama, it's furthering the conversation. Maybe Netanyahu wouldn't have moved in this direction on his own but must he be cast in a submissive position? And note the quotes around "state". Why? Too tough for those sensitive righties to contemplate a real Palestinian state?

[Magleetis]

22. Netanyahu accepts Palestinian "state"

Under one condition. All your state is belong to us. What a crock.

[damntexdem]

23. A state without statehood.

[TheMadMonk]

24. And then there's that idjit who wants Arab and Christian Israelis...

...to swear alegiance to Israel AS A JEWISH STATE if they want to retain their citizenship.

[classysassy]

25. Will

Bibi dismantle his military,didn't think so.?

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

26. use the right term

"reservations" maybe they too can open gambling casinos.

[harun]

27. That's a rough neighborhood, no one can be asked not to have a defense force there.