Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated that Israel would accept the idea of an Israel-Palestinian peace only after the Palestinians agreed to five conditions. His conditions are: recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, Palestinian agreement that a peace treaty ends all claims against Israel, no Palestinian refugees are to be allowed to return to Israeli territory, a demilitarized Palestinian state, and an international recognition of the demilitarization.
Besides these, Israeli sources claimed Netanyahu had refused a Palestinian demand to renew the negotiations. Netanyahu stated clearly in the Knesset that the separation wall would never be removed or changed. According to him, it prevented Palestinian attacks and assured the security of Israel.
Netanyahu's conditions represent a new approach to directing the conflict with the Palestinians. They will be almost impossible to agree to as they contradict demands which the Palestinians consider to be the heart of the conflict. Not only that, but Netanyahu also makes these demands at a time when Israel refuses to take even the simplest step to improve the peace process. The Israeli government stated clearly that building settlements in east Jerusalem is not illegal and does not contravene any law since east Jerusalem is considered a part of the united Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.
So what Netanyahu is offering is a chance for the Palestinians to forget about east Jerusalem as their capital, accept the "logic" and agree to the existence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, completely ignore the right of millions of Palestinian refugees who are living in bad conditions and camps after being kicked of their houses, immediately agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, forgive all the war criminals and agree to not pursue any claim against them, and establish a state which will be a backyard for Israel, which can be entered whenever the latter wants.
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| More about: | Benjamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem, Knesset, Israel |