Netanyahu: Israel open to "painful compromises"

Washington - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to make "painful compromises" for peace with the Palestinians, for the first time explicitly saying that some West Bank settlements would find themselves outside Israel's final borders.

He tacked on, however, a list of often-stated conditions that have been unacceptable to the Palestinians in the past, making his peace blueprint unlikely to entice them back to the negotiating table.

Speaking before a warmly receptive joint meeting of Congress that showered him with more than two dozen sustained standing ovations, Netanyahu said Israel wants and needs peace but repeated his flat rejection of a return to what he called the "indefensible" borders that Israel had before the 1967 Middle East war.

He also restated Israel's refusal to repatriate millions of Palestinian refugees and their families to homes in Israel that they lost in fighting over the Jewish state's 1948 creation.

Netanyahu also maintained anew that contested Jerusalem could not be shared with the Palestinians, who want the eastern sector of the holy city as capital of their hoped-for state. He insisted that Israel maintain a long-term military presence on what would be the eastern border of a Palestinian state.

"Israel will never give up its quest for peace," Netanyahu said, adding that he is "willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace."

But he said Israel would not negotiate with terrorists and urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to rip up a power-sharing agreement that his moderate Fatah faction has signed with the militant group Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist.

In the West Bank, Nabil Shaath, a senior Palestinian official, called Netanyahu's speech "a declaration of war against the Palestinians."

"This is an escalation and unfortunately, it received a standing ovation," he said, noting that Netanyahu had rejected all major Palestinian demands on issues like future borders, the competing claims of Jersualem and the fate of refugees.

Israel, which enjoys strong bipartisan backing in Congress, has been rattled by President Barack Obama's support for drawing the future borders of a Palestinian state and a Jewish state on the basis of Israel's pre-1967 war frontiers.

Netanyahu has challenged the president's position repeatedly, ignoring Obama's assertion that the territorial markers could be adjusted through agreed land swaps. The Palestinians accept that principle, which would allow Israel to retain major West Bank settlement blocs and help to assure its security.

In his speech before Congress, Netanyahu backed off from his dispute with Obama, acknowledging that the president has not called for a return to the exact borders Israel held before capturing east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 war.

Obama had, in large part, staked his reputation in the Muslim world on finding a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. He has not been able to draw Israelis and Palestinians back to the bargaining table for sustained talks, however, and the Palestinians are refusing to come back as long as Israeli settlement construction continues on lands they want for a future state.

In lieu of negotiations, the Palestinians are campaigning to obtain U.N. recognition of Palestinian statehood when the General Assembly meets in September. Such recognition would not hand them a state in practice, but it would make things even tougher for Israel internationally.

The United States also opposes a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood and is holding out for a negotiated compromise.

Netanyahu congratulated the United States for killing al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, wishing him "good riddance" and making the case that America and Israel are paragons of democracy.

Netanyahu dismissed early shouts from an anti-Israel protester as evidence that freedom of speech is alive and well in the United States and is respected in both countries.

Protester interrupts Netanyahu speech to Congress (VIDEO)

[ALBrainTrust13]

FUNNY, I THOUGHT THE UN RECOGNIZED THE BORDERS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL IN 1948....THEN IN 1967 & 1973 THE ARABS INVADED ISRAEL AND TRIED TO DESTROY IT.

SO MUCH FOR THE AUTHORITY OF THE UN AND IT'S LINE DRAWERS.

[Sleepyhnl]

I apologize to any citizen of Israel who I may offend by writing about their leader Netanyahu. But since he decided to use the US government to further his agenda here is one point of view from one American.

I am for peace between Israel and the Palestinian people. I hope they both can negotiate and make peace or show who is against it.
People say "why does Israel have to step forward first and agree to negotiate on the terms of 67 lines with land swaps". Someone needs to be the adult in the room and say "I am willing to negotiate even though we disagree".

Netanyahu and it appears the US Congress does not understand that the nations including our allies are starting to side with the Palestinians. This is evident in the upcoming UN vote. Whether this is right or wrong depends on your point of view.

If Netanyahu knows that there will not be an agreement because of Hamas, then what is the downside of trying to negotiate? He has US "iron-clad?" backing, does this not make him feel secure? Will the negotiations be only symbolic? Probably, but it will show the nations in the UN that Israel is for peace. It will show who is not serious in making peace.

Israel and Palestinian people are for peace, but I think it is their leaders who are against it. These men have their own personal agenda they are putting before the good of their people.

I am for supporting Democratic governments who are willing to help themselves?. But not for men who put their agendas ahead of the United States or a man who uses the US government to push his own.

[formrusmcsgt]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Tuesday to make "painful compromises" for peace with the Palestinians...
----
And then:

"repeated his flat rejection of a return to what he called the "indefensible" borders that Israel had before the 1967 Middle East war", and;

"restated Israel's refusal to repatriate millions of Palestinian refugees and their families to homes in Israel that they lost in fighting over the Jewish state's 1948 creation", and;

"maintained anew that contested Jerusalem could not be shared with the Palestinians", and;

"said Israel would not negotiate with terrorists and urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to rip up a power-sharing agreement that his moderate Fatah faction has signed with the militant group Hamas..."

So, just what "painful compromises" for Israel is he talking about?

These compromises would all be made by the Palestinians, not Israel.

What a song and dance. Pathetic.

[taylorsucram]

THIS IS DOCUMENTED HISTORY YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!!! Early in the morning of Friday, April 9, 1948, commandos of the Irgun, headed by Menachem Begin, and the Stern Gang attacked Deir Yassin, a village with about 750 Palestinian residents. It was several weeks before the end of the British Mandate. The village lay outside of the area that the United Nations recommended be included in a future Jewish State. Deir Yassin had a peaceful reputation and was even said by a Jewish newspaper to have driven out some Arab militants. But it was located on high ground in the corridor between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and one plan, kept secret until years afterwards, called for it to be destroyed and the residents evacuated to make way for a small airfield that would supply the beleaguered Jewish residents of Jerusalem. By noon over 100 people, half of them women and children, had been systematically murdered. Four commandos died at the hands of resisting Palestinians using old Mausers and muskets. Twenty-five male villagers were loaded into trucks, paraded through the Zakhron Yosef quarter in Jerusalem, and then taken to a stone quarry along the road between Givat Shaul and Deir Yassin and shot to death. The remaining residents were driven to Arab East Jerusalem.

NOW SOME OF YOU THINK THIS IS AN ABERRATION, I SUGGEST YOU READ THE FOLLOWING FROM THE KING JAMES BIBLE ..... Acting on God's instructions, the Jews "annihilated everyone who lived in" Makkedah. At Libnah, they again "left no survivors." At Lachish, "they put the sword to all who lived there, just as they had done to Libnah." At Eglon, "they annihilated it just as they had done to Lachish." At Hebron, "they annihilated it and all who lived there." Again at Debir, "they annihilated everyone who lived there; they left no survivors." "Joshua defeated the whole land, including the hill country, the Negev, the lowlands, the slopes, and all their kings. He left no survivors. He annihilated everything that breathed, just as the Lord God of Israel had commanded." (Joshua, Chapter 10.)

EXPLAIN TO ME AGAIN WHY THEY'RE OUR BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE?

[rlacroix4]

So nice to see someone say to read the Bible.
I read what you suggested and kept reading and found in Gen 12:3 "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed"

Perhaps being the friends of Isreal has a blessing and otherwise a curse.
I am so happy you suggested reading the Bible.
What other words parts of the Bible should I read?

[pohd1]

Talks are a no go. Hamas and others will not recognize the existence of Israel. How can Israel negotiate with a group that does not acknowledge they exist. Israel will never allow the grandchildren of those that left in '48 to return. There's 4-5 million and Israel will not be a Jewish state. If Israel would give in and in 5-10 years the Arabs attack and slaughter millions of Jews will you people that hate Israel care? If not then you are no better than Nazis and should admit you racism and hatred.

[melchg07]

not sure why you'd even want to live in this 'holy' place of bloodshed and hostility. Religion at its finest.

[Molly-Pchr]

Class.

[tellingthestory]

Personally I hope all the Hitler loving ,Muslim terrorist loving Jew hatters unite soon in a special place in hell.

[wp4088]

F Israel, america is a big sucker with all the foreign aid we have given them....they don't give us nothing in return, the jewish people aren't brilliant, they , like the plo, base they're life on the invisible man

[Sleepyhnl]

We have just seen the most open takeover of the US government by a foreign entity. Congress is too worried about AIPAC money and votes.

They want to leave the US by itself on the UN vote in September. Are our allies in Europe who stood with us during WWII wrong when they backed the President's speech? Are the majority of the UN countries wrong when they back a Palestinian State? Many who are our allies that you cannot accuse of being anti-semite?

I am ashamed of Congress today and they better wake up or we may end up in another war because Netanyahu's plan is to stall, stall, stall....until he builds, builds, builds, settlements. Hey if you can't beat them, ignore them and push, push, push, sooner or later they will leave. Come September we will see if the US is alone with Israel or if Europe will stand with us. It's getting harder to justify asking friends to support an indefensible position. Hey, didn't Netanyahu say that about his borders?

Israel needs to be secure, the Palestinians need a State but it will never happen under Netanyahu's government.

Russia today said they will support the push for Palestinian statehood. So we are pitted against our old adversaries but I think this time we may be on the wrong side with not much support.