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World Jewish News
Arad: PA didn't expect a strong Israel
15.06.2009
National Security Council head and senior adviser to the prime minister, Uzi Arad on Monday explained that the Palestinians rejected PM Binyamin Netanyahu's speech because they were not expecting an Israeli government to strongly defend the country's vital interests. In an interview with Israel Radio, Arad said that the Palestinians rejected Netanyahu's speech because "they noticed that previous Israeli governments didn't make any demands or conditions and they had hoped to slowly get more and more concessions from Israel. However, they found out that this government will stand its ground and defend Israeli vital interests."
Arad refrained from saying whether Netanyahu considers Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as a serious peace partner, but said that after reviewing protocols from previous negotiations, the prime minister came to the conclusion that the Palestinians have continuously rejected Israeli peace offers.
"We realized that every time there was a chance to reach an agreement on a certain issue during the negotiations at Annapolis, the Palestinians kept stating more extreme positions, causing the rift between the sides to widen," Arad explained.
Arad stressed that Netanyahu is willing to begin peace talks immediately and without preconditions, noting that recognition of the Jewish nature of Israel is not a precondition to peace talks, it is an Israeli demand as part of any peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Also on Monday, Minister-without-portfolio Bennie Begin told the radio station that he was not surprised that Netanyahu included the idea of a demilitarized Palestinian state in his speech, and did not indicate that he planned to leave the government over the issue.
Begin went on to say that based on experience, a sovereign state can dismiss its disarmament obligations in the future.
He added that PA officials who suggested that Israel wait 1,000 years to find a Palestinian willing to cooperate with their demands for peace, are not interested in a two-state solution but a two-stage solution: the first stage includes the establishment of two states for two people and in the second stage, there would be one state, a Palestinian state.
Earlier on Monday, Minister of Strategic Affairs Moshe Ya'alon said in response to Netanyahu's Sunday speech at Bar-Ilan University "I agree with what was said because I understand this reality closely. We exposed the true faces of the Palestinians and this will put an end to the stupid argument on 'definitions' [of the two-state solution],"
"What was presented in the speech reflects accurately widespread Israeli agreement [on the matter]," the minister told Army Radio.
Ya'alon went on to say that he "can live in peace with a Palestinian state if created according to the conditions as laid out by Netanyahu" and stressed that Israel does not want to "rule over" the Palestinians, but that "they are not willing" to meet Israel's needs.
The minister said that Israel has been reaching out for peace, while "all their [Palestinians'] reactions have been refusal and war."
"It cannot be that we are the ones who look like we are refusing [peace]." Ya'alon said.
President Shimon Peres on Monday joined MKS from Kadima and the Likud in praising Netanyahu's speech, which drew fire from the Right.
Peres hailed the foreign policy address as "brave and real," according to Israel Radio, and lauded Netanyahu for endorsing the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel and for calling on the Palestinians to begin negotiations immediately without preconditions.
The president said that the prime minister's words were "heard loud and clear" and will make an important contribution to strengthening Israel's international status.
Источник: JPost.com
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