Netanyahu Wants "Common Understanding"

Israeli PM Reaches Out To U.S. On Divisive Issue Of Two-State Solution

(CBS/AP)  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel cannot live side by side with a new Palestinian state if it must continually be in fear of attack.

But Netanyahu repeated in a nationally broadcast interview his groundbreaking statement saying that he would accept a Palestinian state. But at the same time, he told NBC's "Today" show in an interview from Jerusalem that it would have to be a demilitarized state.

On the issue of further Jewish settlements in territory the Palestinians wish to claim as their own in a new state, Netanyahu said "I think I made it also clear that I would not build new settlements." He said that he and President Barack Obama are trying to resolve that issue.

(Netanyah discussed Israeli security, settlements, Palestinian statehood and more in an interview with CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor Monday.)

Netanyahu said his vision is of separate Jewish and Palestinian states, living side by side in harmony, "not enmity."

The prime minister said his concern about Israel's security "is not a political exercise."

"We've got an enclave in Gaza and we can't have rockets in Tel Aviv," he said.

Netanyahu said that Israel has been pummeled by attacks from its Palestinian territories, telling NBC's Ann Curry: "Let's just think about seven rockets in New York, not to mention 7,000 in Tel Aviv ... Of course, that's (demilitarized zone) a requirement for peace."

On the issue of new settlements in the West Bank, he said, "This is a subject that I have discussed with" Washington.

"I think that President Obama and I are trying to reach a common understanding of this," he said. "I think we'll find some common ground."

For Netanyahu - who has argued that the world's big worry should be Iran and not his country's own unresolved conflict here - Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's re-election drove the point home, reports CBS News correspondent Richard Roth.

Netanyahu was moving with the public mood when he finally conceded there could be a Palestinian state - with a flag and a national anthem, as he put it - but not with an army.

"That's a big deal and that's a big step for him," Yehuda Ben-Meir of the Institute for National Security Studies told Roth.

Netanyahu has clearly felt pressure - from President Obama, who wanted him to go further and freeze construction in West Bank settlements on the one hand, and from Israeli settlers, who feared he might actually do that, on the other.

When it comes to feeling squeezed, though - Palestinians say their experience can't be matched. And inside the barricade today that Israel calls a security fence and Palestinians call a prison wall, Netanyahu's big step was just another big disappointment, Roth reports.

"The only word he mentioned that some people considered positive was the issue of the state but he didn't mean a state. All the conditions he put made it not a state but a ghetto," Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Parliament, told Roth.

The caveats of disarming the Palestinian territories, recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and taking Jerusalem off the table may be non-starters for the Palestinians. That's puzzling to Israeli officials.

"Well, I don't understand why recognizing Israel as a Jewish state is a non-starter. Israel is being asked to recognize the Palestinian right to self determination," Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said Monday on CBS' The Early Show. "I honestly can't see a peace treaty that's not based on mutual recognition. As for disarmament, we're in a dangers part of the world.

"We can't have a situation where a Palestinian state will import rockets such as Hamas has done and shell the cities."

[trapbreaking]

O.K., here is a deal. The Pals have been clamoring for a state for generations, well, this is certainly better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

There isn't going to be any more united Arab armies coming against Israel. Egypt and Jordan have treaties and trade agreements now.

This is a start at a possible lasting peace, or do you think firing rockets and sending suicide bombers is going to make a difference? That has been tried for 60 years and with each, more has been lost by the Pals. Give peace a chance. To think that Israel is going to pull back to their 1948 borders and give up Jerusalem and join in a circle dance with Hamas you are nuts.

.

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[nirak2-2009]

Typical Netanjahu, always strings attached knowing they will not be accepted.

[YrSoWrong]

Anti-Israeli terrorists are known to engage in online trolling. Just the way it's done.

[stn_sage]

Posted by trapbreaking at 4:37 PM : Jun 15, 2009
===================================
Friend, the ' burden of proof ' in the desire of peace IS on the Israelis!

Because, as it stands, THEIR actions have been, and continue to be, SO MUCH MORE
worse than the Palestinians' !

And, I think BOTH PARTIES need to cease operations!

Whether the Palestinians would cease THEIR operations---who knows?! IF they did not,
they would lose world support! However---

Even if they did, the Israeli government has been known to run " red flag " operations---dressing their own forces up and attacking itself in order to blame the Palestinians, so---

Both sides are REALLY going to have to want this to happen and make it work, or
otherwise, the status quo will remain just that!

[YrSoWrong]

The political movements of the Near East are modeled after the police-states of Europe. They have nothing of value to offer, just as their European allies have been discredited following WW2. The 20th Century gets to the Near East more slowly, but it gets there.

[YrSoWrong]

There will be rockets as long as the wrong sort of Muslims find secular non-Muslims living in-range. There will be apologists for them as long as the friendless, the bitter, the slightly unusual can express themselves from their dank lairs.

[trapbreaking]

AND, give the Palestinians some reason to believe that he is sincere, and they're not just being " set up " for annihilation! - Posted by stn_sag

Will they stop the rocket attacks? Will Hamas disarm? Here is a chance for real peace, a chance for the Pals to have the thing they have been clamoring for generations, there own home state, recognized by the world. It is easy to say no and continue to send suicide bombers and rockets into Israel, but will that ever lead to peace?

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[stn_sage]

Mr. Netanyahu is a right-wing Zionist---I don't take what he says seriously!

But, IF he's sincere, then let the Israelis abandon the settlements they've built on stolen land,
let them stop the aerial attacks on women and children, let them stop the gas attacks, let them
ease movement control, maybe knock a few walls down---AND, give the Palestinians some
reason to believe that he is sincere, and they're not just being " set up " for annihilation!

[YrSoWrong]

Some of you say you don't care about this, but I'm sure many of you care very deeply, and have already begun the teach-in, the interpretive dance, the legal cannabis dispensary and the free aids clinic. Admirable. All of these will be needed as the traditional clans of the Near East begin their transition to the utopia you imagine for them.

[ici2i]

The Israelis still want to call the shots and have total control over the destiny of Palestinians and their own state.
Posted by credibility2

Here here, very well said!!! Every word of it! Tear down the wall along with the arrogance and a majority of Americans might support Israel again. Emphasize that I said "support" not trust. Trust is out the window and must be reestablished through years and years of peace, tollerance and understanding. I don't see that happening any time soon.

[ici2i]

The correct pronunciation is "nothing new". People aren't dumb and have already seen that he clearly intends to keep his illegal settlements, agrees not to build anymore just like he told Clinton, and in a few more years, he'll say all teh same things again. I'm almost as sick of the Isreali rhetoric, false hopes of peace, intollerance, and outright oppression as I am of the Palestinian extremists. They are all nuts but Israel has the $$, guns, and US blind support. Therefore, I'm still cheering for the under dogs and refugee lifers and would squash Israel under my feet if I had the power of Obama. Nothing New (Nutn Yahoo <<--- that's a good one too!)

[antoniof123]

I just don't get it if we could get out of the religion business here then evilangelicals (pun intended) could go become jews I mean they think that jews are the chosen race of god. So I say go be a jew and leave the rest of us alone.

[thusspokezara]

We need to return the disputed terrorities to their rightful owners, the Romans.

[credibility2]

What doesn't he get about no more settlements and (I give credit to Obama) that these are in violation with past (UN) sanctions? Netanyahu is throwing crumbs to the Palestinians. Maybe he should offer tearing down the wall the Israelis built, which destroyed the economy of these people? Maybe he should pledge billions to rebuild their infrastructure, schools, hospitals, all commerce related, etc.? I don't feel Jerusalem should be controlled by the Israelis, since this holy city is the world's and not just the Israelis. Christians and Muslims have a religious stake in the city. Perhaps it could be considered neutral? Palestinians should also be allowed to return to their property, even if it's since been taken over by the Israelis. Netanyahu makes a lot of conditions, but isn't really giving them anything plausible. The Israelis still want to call the shots and have total control over the destiny of Palestinians and their own state.

[didserve]

America has an understanding for you!

Stopping all aid to the Middle EAst!

Play nice in the sand box!

We have spent enough blood and treasure in the rock pile!

All Done! Bye Bye!

[King_of_FA]

Arabs wants a state and be allowed to have weapons
Posted by mainermike

I'm not sure the arabs want anything except NOT a jewish state.

[mainermike]

This is AS I SEE IT, by Mike "Mainer Mike" Brown.

If Palestine were to be allowed weapons in order to defend themselves, they'd try to blow away Israel.

If Palestine is created, but they're not allowed weapons, the Arabs would be furious about it.

Like I've always said, there will never be peace in this region.

[boatdocster]

Here's the understanding we have in the US -

Israel needs to honor the treaties and agreements they signed and leave the illegally occupied Palestinian territories.

The Palestinians need a sovereign state, which means israel does dictate terms on who does what.

The two states need to learn to live and let live, and US needs to get out of the one-sided police business.

"Well, I don't understand why recognizing Israel as a Jewish state is a non-starter. Israel is being asked to recognize the Palestinian right to self determination," Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said Monday on CBS' The Early Show.

Perhaps because all the land Israel has taken (by vote, by war or by squatting on) originally belonged to some other country or group of people, including the Palestinians. That small but significant fact that Israel continues to forget...

[thusspokezara]

That is it. This is the last straw. President Obama needs to get tough with the Israelis. Obama should....He should....Let me think...He needs to get tough by...By...Give me a second. I am sure I can come up with something. He should....

[South-of-Heaven]

Bad, Bad Nutn-yahoo