Netanyahu Calls for More Peace Talks

Israeli Prime Minister Also Pledges More Steps to Improve Economic Conditions in Palestinian Areas

(AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called for an immediate resumption of peace talks with Palestinians and pledged more steps to improve economic conditions in Palestinian areas.

Netanyahu reiterated to an assembly of Jewish groups his view that peace negotiations should begin with no preconditions. He made no new proposals on constraining Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Palestinian officials insist that Israel freeze settlement activity before peace talks resume.

"I believe there is no time to waste; we need to move toward peace with a sense of urgency and with a sense of purpose," he said in a speech to the Jewish Federations of North America. "I want to make this clear: My goal is not to have endless negotiations. My goal is not negotiations for the sake of negotiations. My goal is to achieve a permanent peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians."

He also said Israel is willing to make "great concessions for peace," without sacrificing its security.

Netanyahu said there has been an "unmatched boom" of economic activity in the West Bank, "and this has made life better for ordinary Palestinians. For the first time in years, businesses, banks, industry is sprouting - restaurants, theaters, shopping malls are overflowing. Thousands and thousands of Palestinian jobs are being created. I think we can do a lot more and I intend to do a lot more."

The prime minister said his government should be credited with taking extraordinary steps to limit Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank.

"No Israeli government has been so willing to restrain settlement activities as part of an effort to relaunch peace talks," he said. Addressing by name the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, Netanyahu added: "Let us seize the moment to reach an historic agreement. Let us begin talks immediately."

Abbas announced last week that he would not run for another term in an election scheduled for January, citing deadlocked efforts to revive peace talks.

The Palestinians insist that they will not engage in peace talks until Israel meets its commitment to freezing - not just limiting - settlement activity on lands the Palestinians want as part of a future Palestinian state. The Obama administration says it does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements, but Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton argued during a visit to the Mideast last week that Israeli restraint could be seen as a first step toward a negotiated halt to settlement activity.

Clinton drew the ire of Arab nations by applauding what she called an unprecedented Israeli offer of restraint.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Monday that the peace process had reached a "defining moment." If Israel does not accept creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, "we will have to take other steps," Erekat said in an Associated Press telephone interview. He would not elaborate, but he ruled out either dismantling the Palestinian Authority or declaring a Palestinian state.

At the State Department, spokesman Ian C. Kelly said the administration's special envoy for Mideast peace, George Mitchell, has no immediate plans to return to the region to continue his push for a resumption of peace talks.

Netanyahu was scheduled to hold a private meeting later at the White House with President Barack Obama.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the two will discuss a range of issues including Middle East peace and threats posed by Iran's nuclear ambitions. Asked about delays in scheduling the meeting, which the White House did not announce until Sunday, Gibbs said Obama's schedule has been "up in the air" since the mass shooting last week at Fort Hood, Texas.

"He obviously looks forward to sitting down with the prime minister tonight and (continuing) to work together to address issues like Middle East peace and the threat that's posed by Iran," Gibbs said.

A statement issued by the office of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he was meeting in Washington with a range of U.S. defense officials. It quoted Barak as saying Israel is "doing all it can" to renew peace talks with the Palestinians.

"Israel must act with all its strength to reach agreements with its neighbors," Barak was quoted as telling U.S. officials. "It's crucial to enlist President Obama and the United States to the effort of opening negotiations. The United States is the world's leading power and Obama's presidency has a rare opportunity to reach peace. All other alternatives are much worse."

The statement said Barak was to meet later Monday with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

[YrStillWrong]

Yeah, the poor Arab victims. One hundred million of them along the Israeli border, Islamic dictatorships with access to oil revenue.

[edgy44]

If we remove the pipeline to the US treasury, the Zionists would fail, and the Jewish people would arise from their slavery.

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

Nathan yahoo, is talking about wanting to have more talks about the talks they have always held in the talks about peace,
For now he want to hold talks and agrees that by talking
with other countries everyone will clap while talking, It is wonderful thing this talk about the peace process.

[hungry1968-17]

"I want peace, but don't want to do anything to achieve it."

Yeah, we've seen this part of the movie already - over, and over, and over, and over.......

[strctrequity]

Potverdommen en nog meer zoon woorden die ik hier niet mag zeggen. The USA talks to Netanyahu and Barak and it is reported upon as if they are taking a walk in the park. No, they are in cahoots with Baracks' team in denying the Arabs any leeway in their quest for western hegemony over the middle east. The outlook for peace or a two state solution is nil.

[SHEETPAN]

Sadly, there will be no long term peace until there is an all out war. And that is the most likely ugly truth.

[vpcharan]

This PM, who has never known what PEACE is like even in his wildest dreams, is calling for more PEACE talks. Is this not the same fellow who talked peace for four plus years during the 1996-2000 period? In my opinion, U.S. should just refuse to participate as a broker when it cannot influence its own ally's adventurous settlement activities in the occupied land. Make no mistake that both Israel and Palestinian people have legitimate rights to live peacefully as two independent nations within their protected borders, provided they really want peace. U.S. has been providing Israel over $10 millions per month for almost 42 years. American People have received what returns of their investment? Is it Continuing turmoil in the middle east, import of terrorism on the U.S. soil or loss of thousands of U.S. lives.

[YrStillWrong]

This reminds me of when 100 million subjects of the Ummah that surrounded Israel were supported in their non-democratic regimes by the snarky little weasels of the CBS News board.

[stn_sage]

This reminds me of the talks that the Chancellor and President of Germany had with Joe Stalin prior to the start of World War II...as he moved his forces up, entrenched, and fortified his eastern border between them!

Funny, isn't it? Faces change...but it's the same 'old games'!

[jav2000]

He can't be trusted. Would you trust anything this man said?

[jav2000]

He can't be trusted. Would you trust anything this man said?

[Virgil-1]

Anyone can call for peace,but are they really peace talks,or just talk.

[ajayvee]

Some people thought there would not be a meeting between Netanyahu and Obama. Well, Netanyahu wanted a meeting; who the hell is Obama to refuse? He is just another American President who does what he's told. It's all part of "being controlled and knowing it".

[babooph]

Sorry VT-likely best you are right..

[mjlewis6]

No pre-conditions?

He should be walking over to the Prime Minister for the Palestinians and announcing an unconditional withdrawal from the territories and East Jerusalem, an unwavering date for the emergence of a Palestinian State and an invitation to the rest of the world to assist Israel and the new State of Palestine towards a peaceful transition...

Not to mention the abandonment of Settlements on Palestinian State Land....and the Israeli adherence to the boundaries of Israel as created in 1948 by the UN.

[babooph]

He is refusing to see he has been adding to the gerrymandered nuclear target he creates-the US is about bankrupt ,paying Israel & warring for its upkeep,there is an end to this crazyness-I hope it is a better one than it seems to be...

[VTchemist]

Really babooph. Your comment doesn't make sense.