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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel 'ready to negotiate borders with Palestinians' |
| 2011-08-02 |
| Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has bowed to US pressure by agreeing for the first time that a Palestinian state should roughly follow the contours of the 1967 ceasefire lines separating the West Bank from Israel. The offer, which emerged tonight appeared to represent a major climb-down by Mr Netanyahu, who has consistently refused to discuss specific borders of a future state. A government official in Jerusalem told The Daily Telegraph the offer was dependent on the Palestinians dropping their campaign for statehood at the United Nations next month and accepting Israel as a Jewish state. The offer appears to cross Palestinian red lines, and it seemed likely to be rejected — although the onus is now likely to be placed on the Palestinians to present a counter offer. Mr Netanyahu reacted angrily when the 1967 proposal was made by Barack Obama in May but was now said to be offering to trade Israeli territory on its side of the line for West Bank land where its main settlements were located. “We are willing in a framework of restarting the peace talks to accept a proposal that would contain elements that would be difficult for Israel and we would find very difficult to endorse,” said an official, answering a question about the Obama proposal. The Palestinians said they had not received a proposal from Israel. They have demanded that Israel stop construction in its West Bank settlements and east Jerusalem before peace talks resume. Mr Netanyahu was said to have wanted talks with no preconditions where issues such as settlements and borders would be discussed. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 IMO Benji + Knesset are counting on the PA = Paleos to reject the pre-conditions, so they lose nothing while simul gaining alot of PR in their favor. And even presum that the PA did accept the pre-conditions, HEZBOLLAH + AL-QAEDA + OTHER DIE-HARD MILTERR GROUPS WON'T. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-08-02 19:22 |
| #3 Showbama..no wait campaign time. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-08-02 14:56 |
| #2 I agree this isn't a good idea. However, given that Hamas exempts itself and the Gaza Strip from the discussion on the one hand, and Dahlan (for the rising generation) is feuding with Abbas (for the elders) for control of Fatah/the Palestinian Authority, who is going to sign off for the Palestinians? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-08-02 11:14 |
| #1 Huge mistake. Only postponing what is going to happen in the future anyway. Take a stand even if it is your last stand. Trust in American. Obama is a fraud and is going to be removed. Let the "toothless" UN order up whatever they want. How are they going to enforce their orders? Remember: Divide and Conquer. Lord Howard Hurts |
| Posted by: Lord Howard Hurts 2011-08-02 09:17 |