Netanyahu promises no Palestinian state if he is re-elected

[webfact]

Netanyahu promises no Palestinian state if he is re-elected
By JOSEF FEDERMAN

JERUSALEM (AP) — In a frenzied last day of campaigning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state and vowed to keep building east Jerusalem settlements as he appealed to hard-line voters on the eve of Israel's closely contested general election.

The moderate opposition, meanwhile, announced a dramatic last-minute machination of its own, removing one of its two joint candidates for prime minister.

Netanyahu, who has governed for the past six years and has long been the most dominant personality in Israeli politics, has watched his standing plummet in recent weeks.

Recent opinion polls show his Likud Party lagging behind Isaac Herzog's Zionist Union. Herzog, who has vowed to revive peace efforts with the Palestinians, repair ties with the U.S. and reduce the growing gaps between rich and poor, confidently predicted an "upheaval" was imminent.

Late Monday night, it was announced that Herzog's main partner, former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, had given up an agreement to rotate the prime minister post with him if their alliance wins. It was widely thought that the unusual arrangement was driving away voters.

Tuesday's election caps an acrimonious three-month campaign that is widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu.

While his comments Monday appeared to be election rhetoric, they nonetheless put him further at odds with the international community, boding poorly for already strained relations with the U.S. and other key allies if he wins a third consecutive term.

The hard-line leader has portrayed himself as the only politician capable of confronting Israel's numerous security challenges, while his opponents have focused on the country's high cost of living and presented Netanyahu as imperious and out of touch with the common man.

As Netanyahu's poll numbers have dropped in recent days, he has appeared increasingly desperate, stepping up his nationalistic rhetoric in a series of interviews to local media to appeal to his core base. Netanyahu has also complained of an international conspiracy to oust him, funded by wealthy foreigners who dislike him, and on Sunday night, he addressed an outdoor rally before tens of thousands of hard-line supporters in Tel Aviv.

The strategy is aimed at siphoning off voters from nationalistic rivals, but risks alienating centrist voters who are expected to determine the outcome of the race.

Speaking to the nrg news website, Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel.

"Whoever ignores that is burying his head in the sand. The left is doing that, burying its head in the sand time after time," he said in the video interview.

When asked if that means a Palestinian state will not be established if he is elected, Netanyahu replied, "Indeed."

It was the latest — and clearest — attempt by Netanyahu to disavow his earlier support for Palestinian independence, which he first laid out in a landmark 2009 speech.

"If we get this guarantee for demilitarization and necessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, we will be willing in a real peace agreement to reach a solution of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state," he said at the time.

Despite that pledge, two rounds of peace talks have failed and Netanyahu has continued to expand Jewish settlements.

Reaching a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict has been a top foreign policy priority for President Obama.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki would only say on Monday that the U.S. will work with whoever wins the Israeli election.

The international community overwhelmingly supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, areas captured by Israel in 1967, and opposes settlement construction. Netanyahu's tough new position is likely to worsen his already strained ties with his western allies if he is re-elected.

It also raises questions about what kind of vision he has for solving the conflict with the Palestinians. Most demographers agree that if Israel continues to control millions of Palestinians, the country will not be able to remain both Jewish and democratic.

Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi said Netanyahu's comments were "dangerous" and could plunge the region into violence.

"This is the real Netanyahu," she said. "From the beginning, he was attempting to carry out a grand deception by pretending to be in favor of the two-state solution. But what he was actually doing on the ground is destroying the chances of peace."

Earlier, Netanyahu paid a last-minute visit to Har Homa, a Jewish development in east Jerusalem that Netanyahu helped build during his first term as prime minister in 1997. The sprawling district now houses more than 20,000 residents.

While Israel considers the area a part of its capital, the international community considers it an illegal settlement on occupied land. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem as their capital.

"We will preserve Jerusalem's unity in all its parts. We will continue to build and fortify Jerusalem so that its division won't be possible and it will stay united forever," Netanyahu said, explaining that Har Homa was built to contain Palestinian development in the nearby West Bank town of Bethlehem.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials.

Netanyahu dissolved his government in December and ordered the new election, two years ahead of schedule, in the belief that he would cruise to a new term.

On Monday, it was Herzog, Netanyahu's chief rival, who appeared confident and upbeat.

Visiting his party headquarters, Herzog, a trained lawyer and scion of a prominent political family, talked about a "crucial" vote for the country and warned against splitting the anti-Netanyahu vote among the various centrist parties.

"Whoever wants an upheaval has to vote for us," Herzog said.

Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, which has also focused on the plight of Israel's middle class, received a warm welcome at a campaign stop in the coastal city of Netanya. Supporters warmly embraced him and stopped him to take selfies.

He accused both Netanyahu and Herzog of working outside deals with special interest groups and said that only he was tackling the real issues facing the Israeli middle class.

Lapid has so far refused to commit to either Herzog or Netanyahu, though he is widely seen as a natural ally of Herzog's in a future coalition.

Exit polls are expected immediately after voting stops at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) Tuesday night. But the true victor may not be known for several weeks.

Under Israel's electoral system, no party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-member parliament. Instead, the party with the best chance of forming a coalition — usually the largest party — is given the chance to form a coalition. That decision is taken by the country's president, Reuven Rivlin.

Since neither Likud nor the Zionist Union is expected to earn more than a quarter of the votes, Rivlin will meet with party leaders to determine who should be prime minister, followed by a lengthy period of negotiations to assemble a coalition.

A potential kingmaker could be found in the new centrist party of Moshe Kahlon, who is running on an economic platform that deals almost exclusively with bread-and-butter issues while putting Israel's diplomatic challenges on the back burner.

Kahlon, who broke off from Netanyahu's Likud, is demanding to become finance minister in the next government and has given no indication as to whom he would prefer as prime minister.

The son of Libyan immigrants, Kahlon is popular with working class Israelis, thanks to his Middle Eastern background, his modest upbringing and for reforming the local mobile-phone market.

-------------------

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-17

[dexterm]

All these years Netanyahu has been mouthing the mantras... there is no alternative to direct negotiations in line with the Oslo Accords...we have no partners in peace to talk to... when he himself was never willing to negotiate a Palestinian state. What a liar and hypocrite.

Ironically, Netanyahu’s legacy may well be that he himself destroys the Jewish state. The elephant in the room is “What are you going to do with the 4 million Palestinian refugees you are currently occupying in a one state solution?”

Full blown institutionalized apartheid, ethnic cleansing or full citizenship?

The EU, Israel's largest trading partner, will not tolerate the first two... and one would hope that even the USA wouldn't either. So it may well be that EU sanctions will finally make Israel see sense, if they haven't already worked that out in today's election.

All the Palestinians need do is sit tight, practise passive resistance, and shame Israel before the whole world flooding the social media with images of their daily humiliations ,beatings, and murders.

Edited March 17, 2015 by dexterm

[Seastallion]

Yes, Dex. It may in fact paradoxically be a faster route to peace if Netanyahu wins. Herzog has peace talks in mind, but they may get stalled. Netanyahu's aggression might be what will bring justice to the Palestinians.

[biggles45]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

[Scott]

Off-topic posts removed.

[Ulysses G.]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

[Linky]

If the Israel public vote this guy in after hearing this then they deserve all the sanctions and anti Semitic backlash they receive.

[RockyBeerbelly]

"Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel"

....this is clearly the logic of a dangerous lunatic

[Steely Dan]

Yes, Dex. It may in fact paradoxically be a faster route to peace if Netanyahu wins. Herzog has peace talks in mind, but they may get stalled. Netanyahu's aggression might be what will bring justice to the Palestinians.

What's the matter, are you having second thoughts about supporting the so called Zionist Union? I suspect so because their promise to engage in peace talks with the Palestinians would demonstrate (for the 38th time) that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in a two state solution. Better have Netanyahu at the helm so you can pretend this is not the case.

[hard124get]

The end of the terrorist state of Israel is nigh !

[Steely Dan]

"Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel"

....this is clearly the logic of a dangerous lunatic

The result of turning over territory to the Palestinians is amply demonstrated by what happened with Gaza. To conclude otherwise is the very definition of insanity.

[VillageIdiot]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

You are wrong.

Palestine - the country and the people have existed since antiquity.

They were part of the Ottoman Empire for six centuries, and from 1920 to 1948 Palestine was administered by the British under a mandate obtained from the League of Nations.

Independence is relative. No country in the Middle East has been continuously independent throughout it's history.

Edited March 17, 2015 by VillageIdiot

[ezzra]

All these years Netanyahu has been mouthing the mantras... there is no alternative to direct negotiations in line with the Oslo Accords...we have no partners in peace to talk to... when he himself was never willing to negotiate a Palestinian state. What a liar and hypocrite.

Ironically, Netanyahu’s legacy may well be that he himself destroys the Jewish state. The elephant in the room is “What are you going to do with the 4 million Palestinian refugees you are currently occupying in a one state solution?”

Full blown institutionalized apartheid, ethnic cleansing or full citizenship?

The EU, Israel's largest trading partner, will not tolerate the first two... and one would hope that even the USA wouldn't either. So it may well be that EU sanctions will finally make Israel see sense, if they haven't already worked that out in today's election.

All the Palestinians need do is sit tight, practise passive resistance, and shame Israel before the whole world flooding the social media with images of their daily humiliations ,beatings, and murders.

"All the Palestinians need do is sit tight, practise passive resistance, and shame Israel before the whole world flooding the social media with images of their daily humiliations ,beatings, and murders."

Social media? humiliations? There were countless of countries, invading armies tyrants and mass murders

including the Church, that all tried at one time or another to exterminate the Jews and the Israelis,

yes, the have been crucified, burned and mass murdered by the millions over the centuries but they

here, very much here, kicking and alive, building a country form nothing, so unless the Palestinians

and everyone else will learn that you can not "shame and humiliate' Israel to do anything that will

jeopardies it's existence, no peace will ever come to this region...

[Anthony5]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

Israel would also not exist if it wasn't given to them in 1948, so what gives them the right to deny the Palestinians to have their own state?

[Ulysses G.]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

You are wrong.

Palestine - the country and the people have existed since antiquity.

You better inform all the history books then.

1) When was it founded and by whom?

2) What were its borders?

3) What was its capital?

4) What were its major cities?

5) What constituted the basis of its economy?

6) What was its form of government?

7) Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat (who was actually born in Egypt)?

8) What was the language of the country of Palestine ?

9) What was the prevalent religion of the country of Palestine ?

11) What was the name of its currency?

Choose any date in history and tell what was the approximate exchange rate of the Palestinian monetary unit against the US dollar, German mark, GB pound, Japanese yen, or Chinese yuan on that date.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[Linky]

"Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel"

....this is clearly the logic of a dangerous lunatic

The result of turning over territory to the Palestinians is amply demonstrated by what happened with Gaza. To conclude otherwise is the very definition of insanity.

Israel doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result. Yes insanity

[Linky]

The majority of the world acknowledges Palestine. Israel is in an ever shrinking minority in so many ways.

[Seastallion]

Yes, Dex. It may in fact paradoxically be a faster route to peace if Netanyahu wins. Herzog has peace talks in mind, but they may get stalled. Netanyahu's aggression might be what will bring justice to the Palestinians.

What's the matter, are you having second thoughts about supporting the so called Zionist Union? I suspect so because their promise to engage in peace talks with the Palestinians would demonstrate (for the 38th time) that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in a two state solution. Better have Netanyahu at the helm so you can pretend this is not the case.

2nd thoughts, yes, but to all the rest, no, read again, including what I was replying to. Also look up "paradoxically".

Netanyahu's Zionist aspirations may, paradoxically, bring about such pressures on Israel from the international community that the 2-state solution may actually eventuate.

One way or the other, an Israeli left or right, Palestine will prevail.

[Ulysses G.]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

Israel would also not exist if it wasn't given to them in 1948, so what gives them the right to deny the Palestinians to have their own state?

The fact that the Palestinians refused the UN deal and attacked Israeli with 5 Arab armies when they agreed to it. The Palestinians are responsible for their own mess.

[Linky]

Israel is responsible for the mess Israel finds itself in by doing the same thing over and over. Time to change government with fresh Ideas how to resolve the issues. It's in Israels hands.

To not do so is proof Israel want nothing to do with peace. They want to expand, they want land. Lebensraum.

[RockyBeerbelly]

"Netanyahu said that turning over captured territory to the Palestinians would clear the way for Islamic extremists to take control and attack Israel"

....this is clearly the logic of a dangerous lunatic

The result of turning over territory to the Palestinians is amply demonstrated by what happened with Gaza. To conclude otherwise is the very definition of insanity.

Indeed it shows exactly what happens if territories are (so called) turned over:

First build a huge wall around the place and control everything that goes in and out of these walls (including food, medicine, building material, etc), dont allow any sea vessel to enter the Palestinian waters ( and control it by illegally confiscating these vessels and arrest the people on board). Once this is all controlled, start bombing schools and hospitals, preferably with chemical weapons so that as many people as possible are murdered.

Insanity indeed if one supports this madness....

[VillageIdiot]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

You are wrong.

Palestine - the country and the people have existed since antiquity.

You better inform all the history books then.

1) When was it founded and by whom?

2) What were its borders?

3) What was its capital?

4) What were its major cities?

5) What constituted the basis of its economy?

6) What was its form of government?

7) Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat (who was actually born in Egypt)?

8) What was the language of the country of Palestine ?

9) What was the prevalent religion of the country of Palestine ?

11) What was the name of its currency?

Choose any date in history and tell what was the approximate exchange rate of the Palestinian monetary unit against the US dollar, German mark, GB pound, Japanese yen, or Chinese yuan on that date.

Those questions could be answered more positively in relation to Palestine rather than Israel.

[VillageIdiot]

Israel is responsible for the mess Israel finds itself in by doing the same thing over and over. Time to change government with fresh Ideas how to resolve the issues. It's in Israels hands.

To not do so is proof Israel want nothing to do with peace. They want to expand, they want land. Lebensraum.

Eretz Israel is what they want - everything else is just smoke and mirrors.

[Suradit69]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

You are wrong.

Palestine - the country and the people have existed since antiquity.

They were part of the Ottoman Empire for six centuries, and from 1920 to 1948 Palestine was administered by the British under a mandate obtained from the League of Nations.

Independence is relative. No country in the Middle East has been continuously independent throughout it's history.

Sweden announced that it will recognize the state of Palestine, becoming the first member of the European Union to do so. Stefan Lofven became the prime minister of a new center-left government this month and used his inaugural address to parliament to say that a “two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence. Sweden will therefore recognize the state of Palestine.”

Currently, more than 130 countries officially recognize Palestine

http://qz.com/276164/all-the-countries-including-sweden-that-now-recognize-palestinian-statehood/

[Linky]

It really doesn't matter too much what Israel says. It will not be up to them if Palestine becomes a country. Soon the rest of the world will recognize Palestine whether Israel agrees or not. Israel is increasingly isolated with its warmongering rhetoric.

[Ulysses G.]

You better inform all the history books then.

1) When was it founded and by whom?

2) What were its borders?

3) What was its capital?

4) What were its major cities?

5) What constituted the basis of its economy?

6) What was its form of government?

7) Can you name at least one Palestinian leader before Arafat (who was actually born in Egypt)?

8) What was the language of the country of Palestine ?

9) What was the prevalent religion of the country of Palestine ?

11) What was the name of its currency?

Choose any date in history and tell what was the approximate exchange rate of the Palestinian monetary unit against the US dollar, German mark, GB pound, Japanese yen, or Chinese yuan on that date.

Those questions could be answered more positively in relation to Palestine rather than Israel.

In other words, you can not answer even one question about a country that never was. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever - and "recognizing" a want-to-be "country" without borders or an economy may be PC, but does not matter much.

Edited March 17, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[Smurkster]

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". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

this is the worst and most overused excuse as to why there should not be a palestinian state.

[Ulysses G.]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

this is the worst and most overused excuse as to why there should not be a palestinian state.

How is it an "excuse"? He claimed that there had been a country of Palestine, before WW2. I provided him with the actual facts; There NEVER has been one.

[RockyBeerbelly]

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

Israel would also not exist if it wasn't given to them in 1948, so what gives them the right to deny the Palestinians to have their own state?

The fact that the Palestinians refused the UN deal and attacked Israeli with 5 Arab armies when they agreed to it. The Palestinians are responsible for their own mess.

First, picture this. What would you do/think if the place where you and your family have lived for generations is given away by a bunch of countries that have absolutely no relation with you and your family whatsoever (and really don't give a &lt;deleted&gt; about you) to, for instance, the Tutsis (which is a group of people that due to genocide lost 3/4 of their population). You would of course welcome these Tutsis in your house and gladly accept the UN resolution that forced you out of you country. And also all your neighbors will of course be very happy with the arrival of the Tutsis who take over their country.....

The fact that Israel is applying double standard to the UN (only when it benefits their cause) makes Israel responsible for the mess. UN Resolutions 242 and 338 stipulate that Israel must withdraw completely from the occupied territories, but of course Israel doesn't give a sh*t about this. And the heading of this article clearly gives the point of view of Israels leader. He doesn't accept a Palestinian state.....but of course the Palestinians SHOULD accept the state of Israel otherwise they should expect more bombing of schools.....

[VillageIdiot]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

". They could have had peace and their own country long ago otherwise."

Didn't they actually have their own country before they were pushed aside after WW2. ?

No. There has never been an independent Arab country called Palestine - ever.

this is the worst and most overused excuse as to why there should not be a palestinian state.

It's the kind of excuse used by the guilty when they are backed into a corner.