Page 1 of the March 20 Washington Post, under the headline “Netanyahu Backtracks on Election Eve Pledge,” features a photograph of Israel ‘s prime minister with the following:
Netanyahu on Monday:
“I think that anyone who is going to establish a Palestinian state today and evacuate lands is giving attack grounds to the radical Islam against the state of Israel.”
Netanyahu on Thursday:
“I don’t want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution. But for that, circumstances have to change.”
How on earth is that a “backtrack”?
How can a “sustainable, peaceful two-state solution” possibly come into existence as long as there are Islamic militant governments surrounding and continuing their announced dedication to the destruction of Israel?
Circumstances undeniably have to change.
But the Obama White House described its commitment to Israeli and Palestinian states existing side by side as a “bedrock” principle of U.S. policy. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest denounced Netanyahu’s action as:
“Cynical, divisive Election Day tactics” that are unworthy of the values that the United States and Israel share. “Words matter,” added Earnest, who went on to say that the United States “needs to rethink our approach, and that’s what we will do.”
Despite the strained relations, President Obama did telephone Netanyahu to congratulate him on his election victory – as well as to express concern about what Obama regards as “Election-eve rhetoric.”
Obama also expressed his commitment to “a sovereign and viable” Palestinian state.
Just when in world history there can and will come into being a Palestinian state without any terrorists like ISIS was not reportedly mentioned by our president. But it remains a situation in which Israel should surely not be reasonably expected to recognize any Palestine dominated by Israeli-killers.
It must be remembered that Obama refused to meet Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister was invited to address Congress. That event represented another sore spot in the two leaders’ strained relationship.
And the Palestinian Authority has nurtured that strain by vowing to pursue sanctions for war-crimes charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court, which it joins in April.
Netanyahu insists that he has not changed his policy and made reference to a speech he gave at Bar-Ilan University in 2009.
In that speech, he said he supported a two-state solution, as long as Israel’s security was guaranteed and the newly created Palestinian nation was demilitarized.
“I didn’t retract any of the things I said in my speech six years ago,” he told Fox News on Thursday.
He blamed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for his reluctance to continue talks:
“He’s made a pact with the Palestinian terrorist organization, Hamas, that calls for our destruction,” he declared, referring to the group that controls the Gaza Strip. “Conditions in the Middle East have changed to the point where any territory we withdraw from is immediately taken up by terrorists.”
Palestinian leaders accused Netanyahu of trying to recast his remarks while blaming others.
Abbas contended that Netanyahu’s words “are proof, if correct, that there is seriousness in the Israeli government about a political solution,” reported Agence France-Presse.
Saeb Erekat, who spent nine months last year as the top Palestinian negotiator, said:
“This new Israeli government is determined to bury a two-state solution,” he said, adding that all Netanyahu and his team have brought to talks is “make-believe, illusions, plays.”
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., noted the following:
“The oldest and most stable democracy in the Middle East has once again gone through a hotly contested election and will peacefully form a new government.”
And Israel Cabinet Minister Yuval Steinitz declared that Israel believes that any land it relinquishes to the Palestinians will fall into the hands of hostile military groups like Hamas or the Islamic State.
“Congratulations to Prime Minister Netanyahu,” declared Jeb Bush, a likely presidential candidate. “He’s a true leader who will continue to keep Israel strong and secure.”
Media wishing to interview Les Kinsolving, please contact [email protected].
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