Israeli PM turned down regional peace initiative

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SISI, NETANYAHU, KERRY, ABDULLAHAn Israeli newspaper reported Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down a regional peace initiative last year that was brokered by then-American Secretary of State John Kerry, in apparent contradiction to his stated goal of involving regional powers in resolving Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians.

Haaretz reported that Netanyahu took part in a secret summit that Kerry organized in the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba last February and included Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. According to the report, which cited anonymous Obama administration officials, Kerry proposed regional recognition of Israel as a Jewish state — a key Netanyahu demand — alongside a renewal of peace talks with the Palestinians with the support of the Arab countries. Netanyahu reportedly rejected the offer, saying he would not be able to garner enough support for it in his hard-line coalition government.

The initiative was also reportedly the basis of short-lived talks with opposition leader Isaac Herzog to join the government, a plan that quickly unraveled when Netanyahu chose to bring in nationalist leader Avigdor Lieberman instead and appoint him defense minister.

Herzog tweeted Sunday that “history will definitely judge the magnitude of the opportunity as well as the magnitude of the missed opportunity.”

A former top aide to Kerry confirmed that the meeting took place secretly on Feb. 21, 2016. According to the official, Kerry tried to sweeten the 15-year-old “Arab Peace Initiative,” a Saudi-led plan that offered Israel peace with dozens of Arab and Muslim nations in return for a pullout from territories captured in the 1967 Mideast war.

Among the proposed changes were Arab recognition of Israel as the Jewish state, a key Netanyahu demand, recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, another key Netanyahu demand, as long as it recognized Palestinian claims to a capital “in Jerusalem” as well, and softened language on the “right of return” of Palestinian refugees to lost properties in what is now Israel, the former official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was still not authorized to discuss the secret meeting publicly, said the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders reacted positively to the proposal, while Netanyahu refused to commit to anything beyond meetings with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“We saw it as building on, or updating, but certainly not superseding” the 2002 Arab initiative, he said.

Netanyahu himself did not address the report in his weekly Cabinet meeting and his office refused to comment. Instead, the prime minister focused on last week’s visit to Washington to meet new President Donald Trump. Netanyahu called the meeting “historic” and one that strengthened the two countries’ longtime alliance. He said at the end of meeting, Trump shook his hand and told him it was a “new day” in Israeli-American relations.

After eight years of testy ties with Barack Obama, Netanyahu seems to be relishing Trump’s warm embrace. The new president has broken from his predecessor in adopting friendlier positions to the Israeli government regarding a tough line on Iran, a vaguer stance on Palestinian statehood and a more lenient approach to West Bank settlements. He’s also promised to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to fortify Israel’s claim to the city as its capital, and appointed an ambassador with close ties to the settlement movement.

Netanyahu said the two leaders see “eye to eye” on Iran and a host of other issues. “There is a new day and it is a good day,” he said.

In a joint press conference last week with Netanyahu, Trump offered unwavering support for Israel with the only hint of distance coming in his request of Netanyahu to “hold off” on Jewish settlement construction in territories the Palestinians claim for a future state. Netanyahu said Sunday that the sides have formed joint teams to coordinate settlement construction along with other issues.

In a striking departure from longtime American policy, Trump also refrained from supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying he would defer to whatever solution the sides agreed upon. Netanyahu pleased his coalition partners by holding back from mentioning a potential Palestinian state as well, even though he is on record as supporting the concept.

In a further wrinkle, Lieberman chimed in that for him a Palestinian state remains the preferred outcome — and it should come through the type of regional structure Netanyahu reportedly rejected.

“My vision, it’s the endgame no doubt, two-state solution. I believe that it’s necessary for us to keep the Jewish state,” he said at the Munich Security Conference. “The Palestinians don’t have capacity to sign a lone final status agreement with Israel. It’s possible only as a part of an all-regional solution, not an incremental process but simultaneously.”

WASHINGTON POST

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72 responses to “Israeli PM turned down regional peace initiative”

  1. “Settlements” is political correct for communities inhabited by Jews
    Also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlement_%28litigation%29

  2. Don’t see Abbas in the lineup and don’t see the reps from the several Palestinian factions as well.

    1. Israel certainly has more power in making peace than the Palestinians. Besides, Netanyahoo is a coward – and I am not the one saying it here:

      “Netanyahu fled away, turned his back as opposed to his commitments to third parties … and simply reneged on the basic understanding that we had,” Herzog told participants at the annual Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization gathering in Jerusalem. “History will judge Netanyahu on that failure.” – https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israeli-opposition-netanyahu-blinked-on-peace-initiative/2017/02/20/248034c0-f75e-11e6-aa1e-5f735ee31334_story.html?utm_term=.2c3582a68412

      1. That’s nice, but still don’t see the Palestinian reps in the picture.

        1. Abbas and Netanyahoo were most likely smoking a cigar together in terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

          1. Falestine is East Bank (shore) of Mediterranean Sea

          2. Est and West Banks of River Jordan where Palestinian Territories in “The British Mandate for Palestine”.

          3. It was. Please let us create new not politically corrupt history: Falestine is East Bank (shore) of Mediterranean Sea

          4. As you wish Boss!

  3. I am not surprised . Netanyahu never wanted peace . He is great at playing games . He only understands the language of power and the only thing that will work over there is another intifada .
    In fact his role model is Putin. He said recently during his meeting with Trump that there are other options available to him ( other than the 2 state solution) … doing what Russia has done in Syria … , i.e. bombing the whole West Bank

    1. The Palestinian version of the 2SS has always been Palestine and Jordan. The concept of a Jewish state called Israel has and probably always be repulsive. But any other 2SS that includes Israel will be temporary and nothing more than a n opportunity to rearm and redeploy.

      1. The only version the Palestinians have been talking about in the 2SS is an independent Palestine based on the 1967 borders . Jordan, like Israel will be its neighbors

          1. No relevance; whatsoever.

          2. Gaza is judenfrei already

          3. Drop your hasbara. The Jewish population in Palestine was a minority for centuries; until the( illegitimate) creation of Israel. Most of the land in Palestine was owned by non-Jews. Gaza is no exception: http://bit.ly/2lQWWXj

          4. There are 0 jews in Gaza is my hasbara? Are you defender of orabs caliphate right living everywhere and jews no?
            (Israel is illegitimate) i see clearly your motivation between words and pictures, you are barbarian or defender of barbarians

          5. Your hasbara is what Norman Finkelstein depicts in his book The Holocaust Industry: the exploitation of the memory of WW2 (which by the way was not only about Jews) for political/financial gain and furthering the interests of Israel. Your mention of Judenfrei is a prime example of that.

            Stating facts about how Israel was created: stealing lands, displacing/killing the inhabitants, terrorism, breaking international laws, etc is not supporting the Islamic Caliphate. That is again: hasbara.

            The Arabs in question here are the Palestinians. How can they be the barbarians when it was their lands that was taken; when is it them who are under occupation; when it is them who are in prison-like corners where nothing gets in and out without Israels’ stamp of approval; when it is them who are segregated by the Israelis?

            http://i66.tinypic.com/20sc3es.png

          6. +memory of WW2 (which by the way was not only about Jews)+ only jews were purposely chosen for destruction like also by Orab “states” after that. You are purposely missing whole picture, corrupted idiot, and Falestinians are usual Orabs

          7. Millions of non-Jews also perished during WW2. I don’t see you make a mention of them.

            You continuously write ‘Arabs’ but the Jews who lived in the Middle East were also Arabs.

            As for your claim that Muslims targeted Jews, that is again hasbara. Muslims and Jews co-lived in Palestine for decades. That is attested by the Shaw Commission and the Hope-Simpson report (1920/1930s).

            The three Muslims attacks on Jews coincidentally happened under the watch of British supported Amin al-Husseini (aka Grand Mufti of Palestine).

          8. +I don’t see you make a mention of them+ i’m sorry also about this, I do not ignore.
            I’m happy falestinians and israelies are killing each other less than f.e. syrians (i wish syrians will stop). War is bad thing, please see what is happen after war http://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/20/africa/south-sudan-famine/index.html?sr=twCNN022117south-sudan-famine0850AMVODtopLink&linkId=34708555

          9. War is bad but tremendously profitable – hence it’s happening. I know that most Israelis and most Palestinians want peace but those running the show do not. Peace would mean for Israel to make concessions: give lands back.

            I am aware of the situation in Sudan. It’s not any different than Yemen with over 2 million children in dire need of urgent care. But why is it happening? For some to keep their hegemony in the region: But why is Britain so seemingly determined to see the country dismembered and its development sabotaged? Strange as it may seem, the answer is that Britain is scared of Yemen. For Yemen is the sole country on the Arab peninsula with the potential power to challenge the colonial stitch-up reached between Britain and the Gulf monarchies it placed in power in the nineteenth century, and who continue to rule to this day. http://bit.ly/2kswXHc

          10. +give lands back+ no i think Judea and Samaria wil be may be annexed, there is already plenty of land for Orabistans
            +But why is Britain+ are you mental masturbating on Israel or on Britain?

          11. What the hell are you saying?

          12. +give lands back+ that can mean also all Israel land
            +mental masturbating+ key word mental, are you belive in conspiracy?

          13. The PLO and Hamas’ recognition of Israel was based on the 1967 borders; not all Israel.

            What conspiracy? The creation of Israel was wanted by Britain to control the Middle East: https://www.schillerinstitute.org/conf-iclc/1990s/conf_feb_1994_brewda.html Do you really believe the land was given to the Jews by God? The same goes for the Gulf countries. Hence the war in Yemen today. Read the article I sent you: http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/02/01/britain-and-the-yemeni-threat/

          14. You are selecting or Israel or Britain or US from whole picture, it is easier safely to critisize “civilized” society than barbarian society, sure Israel or Britain or US are not angels, economical wars are bad but they are better than real wars i think

        1. Nabil Shaath: ” said that the Palestinians supported peace, but only “on condition” that Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu and his soldiers and murderers and settlements will leave our land.”

          I’m sure other comments can be found by other Palestinians.

          1. Agreed the Palestinian people and the Arab countries agreed to make peace and the Arab nations did submit a proposal based on the agreement that was endorsed by the Arab League in 2002 at the Beirut Summit and re-endorsed at the 2007 Arab League summit. But Netanyahu rejected it last June when he was quoted as saying : ” Israel Will Never Accept Arab Peace Initiative as Basis for Talks With Palestinians”
            http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.724725
            So the Arabs and Palestinians are not the problem . Netanyahu is the main obstacle against peace

          2. I think You are stubborn wrong, mostly Orabians (including so called falestinians) never recognazed Israel at all (besides official Jordan and Egypt after wars) What “peace” are You speaking about? Please leave alone Netanyahu

          3. Drop your propagandist bs. Both the PLO (in the 1970s) and Hamas (multiple times in early 2000s) have recognized Israel for a Palestinian state along side. The same goes for 3/4 of the Palestinians. Despite that, the western, mainstream narrative keeps imposting that the Palestinians want to destroy Israel.

          4. How Hamas recognizing Israel, sending rockets?

          5. Israel says a lot of things. The mainstream media repeats it; and so do you.

          6. O.k. Hamas is peaceful organization according to you, what about m.b. IS next in Gaza, are you also for “peace”?

          7. All I know about Hamas is that its creation was supported by Israel to thwart the PLO. It’s a very corrupted organization.

            The Muslim Brotherhood has been supported by Britain since its inception: http://bit.ly/2dtp6ly

            IS next in Gaza – Relevance? Have you seen IS/ISIL/ISIS do anything against Israel?

          8. “All I know about Hamas is that its creation was supported by Israel to thwart the PLO. It’s a very corrupted organization” for you easier to blame Israel than Hamas
            “Have you seen IS/ISIL/ISIS do anything against Israel?” Yes, rockets from Sinai like from Gaza
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant_%E2%80%93_Sinai_Province IS have no border with Israel

          9. Looking at how Israel was created, any semi-intelligent, semi-sane person would find it easier to blame Israel.

            Wikipedia is edited at will by anyone and everyone 24/7; you need to do better.

          10. You can not destroy Israel like also Hamas or Hesbollah etc. so you forced to blame and
            slander

          11. Where do you read me advocate the destruction of Israel silly hasbara?

          12. This is informational destruction, you’re lying about creation of Israel as “illegal” etc.

          13. The creation of Israel was indeed done illegally. UN sourced land ownership data attests it:

            https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Palestine_Land_ownership_by_sub-district_%281945%29.jpg/800px-Palestine_Land_ownership_by_sub-district_%281945%29.jpg

            Stating facts instead of repeating Zionist lies/myths isn’t ‘informal destruction’. Israel was created by Britain to control the Middle East. The Jews of Europe were used to reach that objective. Non-Jewish Palestinians (and the surrounding countries) paid/pay the price for that colonialist endeavor. Let’s drop the non-sensical propaganda and see/say things the way they are.

          14. http://i66.tinypic.com/xbya36.png

            Care to explain how a U.N. source data is profalestinian liberal fundamentalist propaganda?

            How is your Google search link about the Islamic Caliphate of any relevance here? Try harder hasbara.

          15. UN is corrupted organization, many members are failed states. Are you want caliphate instead of tiny like Lebanon Israel? Or what you want?

          16. The creation of Israel had/has nothing to do with the Caliphate. If it was, the UK-US would not support the Gulf.

          17. (fake democracy).
            ‘Israel–Palestine Liberation Organization letters of recognitio’
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

          18. Abbas has consistently failed to state his reasons for his total rejection of Israel as a Jewish state. In January 2014, the PA president declared:

            “The Palestinians won’t recognize the Jewishness of the State of Israel and won’t accept it. The Israelis say that if we don’t recognize the Jewishness of Israel there would be no solution. And we say that we won’t recognize or accept the Jewishness of Israel and we have many reasons for this rejection.”

            The other 1/4 of Palestinians happen to be the leadership of the Palestinians.

          19. Nice straw man argument. I wrote both the PLO and Hamas recognized Israel.

          20. Then Abbas is nothing in the Palestinian community.

          21. I am sure he’s the illusion of something to some of them. Otherwise, he’s nothing but a corrupt baboon.

          22. In the view of Dr. Saniyeh Al-Husseini, then, Palestinians refuse to acknowledge a Jewish state because they believe that this would grant legitimacy to “Jews’ rights to the land of Palestine” and undermine the Palestinian demand for the “right of return” for millions of refugees into Israel.

          23. Dr. Saniyeh Al-Husseini’s full quote was:

            “Palestinian acceptance of the Israeli narrative would deny any Palestinian right on the land of Palestine and give justification to Israel’s wars against the Palestinians. Palestinian recognition of the Jewishness of Israel means accepting the Israeli narrative regarding the Jews’ right to the land of Palestine and exempts Israel from bearing responsibility for the moral and legal consequences of all its crimes against the Palestinians.”

            https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7849/palestinians-accept-jewish-israel

          24. Read further down.

          25. I did.

    2. “West Bank” is political correct Judea and Samaria

  4. +Israeli PM turned down regional peace initiative+ (fake news) Can be peace established with Hamas? Are we seing peace with Hesbollah? Only official Jordan and Egypt recognazing Israel, but others orabic and persian states, also falsetinians are recognazing?

    1. Israel pulled out of Gaza so the issue is only the West Bank.
      Did you see the Ya Libnan article on Ukraine It looks like Putin plotting to gobble another part of your old country Ukraine . You should focus on your real country Ukraine, because your knowledge of the Middle East is very limited

      1. Are You idiot, what knowledge about “West Bank”??? “West Bank” is political correct Judea and Samaria, are You stupid??? Check please you corrupt knowledge

        1. I have been trying to show you some respect despite your shortcomings . Why did you suddenly behave this way . Arn’t you understanding what I am writing . Will it be easier if I write it to you in Ukranean

          1. Please excuse me if i was hurt You.
            But Ukrainian people are ukrainians (and russians, jews, gypsies etc.)
            Who are West Bankians, are You understand? Don’t tell me ﻑalsetinians

    2. I find this ridiculous.

      1. i know you are recognizing Zionism instead of Israel

    3. They did in Oslo. Rabin murder was blessed by Israeli grand Rabbi..the killer got permission from Netanyahu to vote for him from prison, (fake democracy).

      ‘Israel–Palestine Liberation Organization letters of recognitio’
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel%E2%80%93Palestine_Liberation_Organization_letters_of_recognition

      1. That is all corrupted politics, are most of common people recognizing, are Gaza, Judea and Samaria orabs respect, recognizing Israel, and are You?

  5. Minister Kara: “Netanyahu and Trump will attempt to create a Falestinian state in Sinai”
    https://twitter.com/ayoobkara/status/831400751066923009

  6. The group of Egyptian lawyers and human rights activists filed a lawsuit in the Administrative Court to prevent the resettlement of falestinians in the territory of the Sinai Peninsula and the conversion of the Sinai and the Gaza Strip to the falestinian state

  7. Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel Avatar
    Adam Yonatan Ben Yoel

    He was waiting for a Trump administration for it.

  8. If Netanyahu rejects peace, what does he really want?

    “Despite Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim during that shallow press conference with Donald Trump that he wants to focus on “substance” not “labels”, we now know that he actually rejected a peace deal (and what can be more substantial than that?) put forward by ex-Secretary of State John Kerry last year. This is not the first time that an Israeli prime minister has spurned offers which would put an end to the violence inflicted by Israel on the Palestinians living under its brutal military occupation.”

    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20170221-if-netanyahu-rejects-peace-what-does-he-really-want/

    1. profalestinian bs

    2. And it’s definitely many many times that the Palestinians have rejected offers and have rejected the Jewish State of Israel. Abbas refuses to sit with Netanyahu, Palestinians factions have said they are armed and ready.

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