Seeking for long-term peace in the Middle East region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is ready for historic peace, and it’s a peace based on two states for two peoples.
In a joint statement with US Secretary John Kerry in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel-Palestine negotiation is a peace that Israel can and must be able to defend itself, by itself, with its own forces against any foreseeable threat.
“I would also stress that Israel continues to honor all understandings reached in prior negotiations.
“ – Prime Minister Netanyahu
Israel needs understanding and genuine agreements with Palestine
Prime Minister Netanyahu highlighted that the Israel-Palestine process is going to continue, they are going to have to have a continual negotiation.
“We don’t need artificial crises. I think we don’t need finger pointing either.” – Prime Minister Netanyahu
He said both countries need is not grandstanding, but understanding and agreements which requires hard and serious work.
“It actually requires that we do not put before you, gentlemen and ladies of the press, everything that we’re discussing, but to have these real discussions inside in a sustained effort to bridge historic gaps and provide security.” – Prime Minister Netanyahu
Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed that he is fully committed and Israel is fully committed to such an effort.
“And I hope the Palestinians are committed to this goal as well.” – Prime Minister Netanyahu
Israel Genuinely Seeking Peace With Palestine
Last month, nn a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underlined his country’s desire to seek peace with the Palestinians.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that several months ago, with the help of Secretary Kerry, they launched an initiative to seek a peaceful agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israel Stands By The Terms Of The Agreement
Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel and Palestine agreed three months ago on certain terms and stands by those terms as well.
In addition, Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed his concern about their progress because he sees the Palestinians continuing with incitement, continuing to create artificial crises, continuing to avoid, run away from the historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace.
He hopes Secretary Kerry’s visit in Israel will help steer the two parties back to a place where they could achieve the historical peace that the two countries seek and that their people deserve.
Through a US-mediated initiative to end the conflict between the two parties, Israel and Palestine held their first peace negotiations in nearly three years in Washington DC on July 30.
On Iran
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Secretary Kerry also addressed the issue about Iran’s nuclear proliferation campaign in Jerusalem.
The Israeli Prime Minister said as long as Iran continues their goal to enrich uranium to get nuclear weapons, the pressure should be maintained and even increased because they’re increasing enrichment.
He believes that it’s possible, with intense pressure because of the sanctions regime, led in large part by the United States, to get Iran to fully dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
Israel captured East Jerusalem along with the West Bank and Gaza in the Six-Day War in 1967, but annexed the city as its united capital in a move not recognized by the international community. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future State.
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since late September last year following Israel’s refusal to extend a 10-month freeze on settlement activity. That decision prompted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Although the US and many others lay the blame for all peace failures on Israel, the Palestinians continue their own agenda unabated.
Fatah, the party of Mahmoud Abbas, now uses social media to glorify terrorists, posting “They are our role models,” on facebook. They praise murderers as symbols of their nation. No mention of this is ever made by Secretary Kerry, or Secretary Clinton before him. Yet Secretary Kerry asks for good faith and a serious effort on both sides.
