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Netanyahu: "We Seek a Peace That Will Last for Generations"

By The Israel Project

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday (Sept. 1) he is entering direct peace negotiations with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to find a "historic compromise" that will enable both people to live in peace for generations.

In remarks prepared for delivery at a White House dinner hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama, Netanyahu said: "I came here today to find a historic compromise that will enable both peoples to live in peace, security and dignity."

Turning to Abbas, Netanyahu said, "President Abbas, you are my partner in peace. It is up to us to overcome the agonizing conflict between our peoples and to forge a new beginning."

The talks open at the State Department on Sept 2, with the participation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah, after a 20-month hiatus.

Netanyahu said he had been making the case for Israel his entire life. "But I did not come here to win an argument ... (or) play a blame game where even the winners lose. I came here to achieve a peace that will bring benefits to all."

Recalling that after previous Israeli withdrawals from south Lebanon and Gaza, Iran-backed terrorists used those territories to mount attacks on Israel, Netanyahu said it was vital to ensure that any land Israel conceded would not be turned into a "third Iranian-sponsored enclave aimed at the heart of Israel"

Therefore, the Prime Minister said, a defensible peace required security arrangements that could withstand the test of time.

Abbas's comments weren't immediately available.

Israeli Officials and Experts Available for Comment: Mark Regev, Spokesman for the Prime Minister Yigal Palmor, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and fluent in Spanish and French: 202-285-5405 Ofir Gendelman, Prime Minister Office's Spokesman to the Arab World: 202-374-5171 Jonathan Peled, Israeli Embassy Spokesman in Washington, D.C.: 202-276-2800 Jennnifer Laszlo Mizrahi. TIP Founder and President: 202-306-0757 Alan Elsner, TIP Senior Communication, Research and Media Director: 202-306-0757 To set up any interviews, please contact Lauren Appelbaum, TIP Media Coordinator: 202-591-0703 For more experts, please see our expert source list.

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