Is this just election talk? What is Netanyahu doing? Is he or isn't he willing to address a just peace and a two state solution? Netanyahu denies report he's backed off two-state solution (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied reports on Sunday he has backed away from a 2009 commitment to seek a two-state peaceful solution with the Palestinians. A statement by Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party widely reported by Israeli media said he had said that a speech he gave six years ago agreeing for the first time to Palestinian statehood as a solution to decades of conflict was now "irrelevant." Netanyahu "never said such a thing," his office said in a statement responding to the reports. Likud had apparently issued the remarks to debunk earlier Israeli media reports suggesting Netanyahu had in a previous term of office negotiated a broad withdrawal from land Israel captured in a 1967 war. The party's statement, apparently issued by hardliners, said Netanyahu had also suggested "there would be no withdrawals or concessions, that this is simply irrelevant," referring to swapping any occupied land for peace. Netanyahu's office denied this, too, saying he has long adhered to a policy that "under current conditions in the Middle east any land that is handed over would be grabbed by Islamist extremists." The Israeli leader had repeatedly said he would not hand over land at risk of falling into the hands of Islamist extremists since the collapse of peace talks in April and after fighting a July-August war with Hamas militants in Gaza. The media accusations against Netanyahu over the Palestinian conflict come as part of a bitterly fought campaign for a March 17 election. Polls show Netanyahu running neck and neck with leading rival Isaac Herzog of the left-of-center Zionist Union, which says it would seek a resumption of regional peace talks. (Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Eric Walsh) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/08/us-israel-palestinians-idUSKBN0M40XB20150308
I think Netanyahu's idea of a two state peace is the Palestinians to be crammed into Gaza and Israel retaining the West Bank.
Bibi has never negotiated in good faith for a two-state solution. Admitting that he has no intention of doing so recently is about as honest as he's ever been with the public regarding this issue.
At some point, either Israel has to give citizenship and full civil rights to the Palestinians on the West Bank or forcibly expel them. Shades of the Reich.
They could give them civil rights. They won't give them citizenship and take the chance of turning it into an Islamic state. You can bet on that.
They have to do one or the other... Bibi is leading Israel down the primrose path... In fact, most people think its too late for a 2 state solution. Some democracy............
Civil rights they could give them. But not citizenship. If they were to give them citizenship, it would have voting restrictions. Israel is well aware of the desire of Muslims wanting a one state solution, where they would have the majority and it would no longer be a Jewish state. They aren't about to let that happen.
Then Israel has to stop calling themselves a democracy... They make a mockery of the term. Martin Van Cleveld says that Israel doesn't need the West Bank.
How many Palestinian/Arabs live in Israel? How many are in the Knesset? Doesn't sound like an apartheid state to me.
I sure don't agree with a lot of what Israel does, but we have to remember they can't allow freedom as much as they would like as long as they have so many all around them dedicated to wiping them out. That can put the clamps on a lot of freedoms.
No, this is not just election talk. If Netanyahu had the backing of his people and commitments from the U.S., U.K. & France, he'd push the Palestinians out of the West Bank and Gaza. Israel even has the military superiority to do it. Hawks like Netanyahu undoubtedly want to see this problem crushed and Israel's territory extended.
Going to bed is not "dodging"... Israel makes a distinction between “citizenship” and “nationality.” All Israelis qualify as “citizens of Israel,” the state is defined as belonging to the “Jewish nation,” meaning not only the 5.6 million Israeli Jews but all the msillion Jews in the diaspora. Israel recognizes dozens of different nationalities, refuses to recognize the one nationality it is supposed to represent.. and Jews enjoy special status. There are even two laws — the Law of Return for Jews and the Citizenship Law for Arabs. Can you imagine if the authorities in the US were to classify their citizens as ‘Jewish’ or ‘Christian',,,,,,,,,,,,,,
