Israeli Official: 2-State Focus "Stupid"

Netanyahu Aide Slams Media's Focus On Obama-Backed Solution To Israel-Palestinian Conflict

(CBS/AP)  Media focus on the idea of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, favored by President Barack Obama, is "childish and stupid," said an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday.

The aide's statement reflected efforts by Netanyahu to deflect attention away from the issue during his just-completed trip to Washington.

Ron Dermer spoke to The Associated Press after Netanyahu and his entourage arrived home from Washington. He denied that he meant that the two-state concept itself childish and stupid, as he was quoted earlier as saying in an anonymous briefing to journalists on the plane carrying Netanyahu home.

"I told reporters that the focus by the media on the concept of solving the Israel-Palestinian issue through a two-state solution is childish and stupid, but I deny that I described the idea that way," he said.

President Barack Obama made it clear that the U.S. backs creation of a Palestinian state, but Netanyahu has not endorsed the concept.

During his trip to Washington, Netanyahu constantly tried to shift emphasis from Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking toward the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program. He and Obama publicly disagreed about the relative weight of the two issues. Netanyahu argued that reining in Iran would spur peace efforts, while Obama felt that progress toward peace between Israel and the Palestinians would undermine extremist elements, including Iran.

In a brief statement at Israel's airport on his return, Netanyahu again began with Iran, mentioning the Palestinian issue as third on his list.

Referring to his talks with Obama, Netanyahu said, "There was an agreement that we need to immediately begin the peace process, I said I am willing to open peace talks with the Palestinians, by the way with the Syrians as well, of course without preconditions, but I made it clear that in any peace agreement there must be a solution to Israel's special security needs."

He also said that Arab nations should be brought into the peacemaking process, "meaning not only does Israel need to contribute and the Palestinians contribute, but Arab states need to make concrete contributions already at the beginning of the process."

Netanyahu did not mention talks with Syria during his appearances in Washington. Israel's previous government held several rounds of proximity talks with Syrian officials, mediated by Turkey, but no results were disclosed.

"Netanyahu is in no rush to reach a peace treaty and, though he sees room for a 'two-state solution,' down the road, does not want to talk about Palestinian statehood now," CBS News Correspondent Howard Arenstein wrote in the World Watch Blog. "He feels that would turn the West Bank and Gaza Strip into what Israelis like to call 'Hamas-stan.'" (Read more.)

In his airport statement, Netanyahu said he and Obama agreed that Iran must not obtain nuclear weapons, and attempts to solve the problem through negotiations could not be unlimited in time. "There was also an understanding that Israel preserves the right to defend itself," Netanyahu said.

Israel has not taken the military option off the table and analysts say it might have the ability to strike some of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Israel considers Iran a strategic threat because of its nuclear program, long-range missiles and references by its president to the destruction of the Jewish state.

[pirjan]

If USA imperialists wants no arms race in ME then the best solution is to remove atomic nukes from Israel. And stop using Jews as their donkeys. The Jews too have right to live in Europe where they belong.

[pirjan]

All the people of the world think that it is childish and stupid to have 2 states in Palestine. Just allow all the Palestinians to return to their homes from where they have been thrown out by great powers and the Zionists during and sinse the 2 World war. It is their right. There is no arguement regarding this.

[U-R-So-Wrong]

The religious perspective on this is useless as always.

[U-R-So-Wrong]

We have only more respect for the Palestinian Authority and Hamas because the graft sometimes keeps the gang wars under control. Sometimes.

How much money was spent by US taxpayers to buy Suha Arafat a nice home in Paris?

[inachu1]

The right now was the left then.
Posted by U-R-So-Wrong at 10:49 AM : May 21, 2009
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You are 100% correct! I remember pleading as a teen for my mom to change the channel in the early 1980's as I hated news but it was Kissinger that changed the mindset that conservatisim was going to war and peace was a liberal idea.

So with this logic we can understand that war,wasting electricity, partying all night, driving long distances, buying junk food,buying lots of drugs is a conservative ideal and staying at home for entertainment and drinking water and going to bed early and eating healthy and being a peaceful person is a liberal idea.

So it is true.... the real Conservatisim is being against the war. The early version of neoconservatisim along with the likes of jimmy swaggert and the 700 cclub with Hagee and AIPAC changed all that........ That was when true conservatisim died.....

Bye bye Ms. american pie..

[ibsteve2u]

Media focus on the idea of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, favored by President Barack Obama, is "childish and stupid,"

Huh. Wonder if Israel would exist, had we called the desire for an independent Israel "childish and stupid" once upon a time?

If the right - in ALL countries - excels at anything, it is hypocrisy.

[noloyalisti]

I think after all the terrorism Israel has done and all the land they have seized without compensation, it would be hard to have a one-state solution. There are too many wacked out, right wing, racist and violent Jews in that part of the world. Palestine needs a separate area and enough weapons to protect themselves from armed and unscrupulous invaders like Israel and the US.

[Turbidite]

Mr. Netanyahu tear down those walls.
A one-state solution is needed with a right-of-return to those that have been displaced.

[mnbrant]

I think when Palestinians move to a secular country they often become more secular. Like the Jews however, when it comes to marriage, they prefer to marry their own, often returning to Palestine to find a wife. I liked the script to peace proposed earlier, finding the strengths of each people and building up and complementing them rather than knocking each other down. I just wish a Palestinan had come up with the idea rather than a Jew.

[juwboy]

ohgrowup:

In 1947, the United Nations passed a Resolution dividing the British-administered, former League of Nations Palestine mandate into Jewish (Israel) and Arab (West Bank and Gaza) sections.

On the day in 1948 that the Resolution came into effect, Egypt occupied and annexed Gaza, and Jordan invaded, occupied and subsequently annexed the West Bank.

So, the nascent Palestinian state was throttled at birth, not by Israel, but by Egypt and Jordan.

If a two-state solution is so friggin` important to the Arab world, why didn`t Egypt and Jordan create a Palestinian state during the 19-year period, 1948-67, when they had the opportunity to do so?

OH GROW UP, ohgrowup!!!