THE ISRAELI prime minister has welcomed the comments by US president Barack Obama that there are no short-cuts to Middle East peace and that the only way forward is for the two sides to renew negotiations.
In comments before the two leaders met at the UN headquarters, shortly after Mr Obama’s General Assembly address, Binyamin Netanyahu thanked the president for speaking out against any UN bid to declare a Palestinian state and said he was “wearing a badge of honour” by insisting on direct negotiations. He expressed the hope that other states would follow the US president’s example.
Mr Netanyahu stressed that the Palestinian attempt to get a state at the UN would not succeed. “I think the Palestinians want to achieve a state, but are not prepared to give Israel peace in return. The Palestinian bid is bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians and bad for peace.”
Foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman gave an enthusiastic response. “He didn’t mention the 1967 borders and I endorse his comments with open arms.”
He said the Israeli government would react to the Palestinian statehood bid in due course. “We are not threatening anyone but if the Palestinians pursue their unilateral action, there will be grave consequences. I would advise them to return to the peace talks.”
Israel commentators labelled Mr Obama’s speech, in which he did not mention settlements or press for a new settlement building freeze, as “the most Zionist” address ever by a non-Israeli at the United Nations.
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni also welcomed Mr Obama’s comments, saying he “displayed the main points of the conflict in a balanced manner”. However, Ms Livni, who heads the centrist Kadima party, called on Mr Netanyahu to work to break the impasse.
“The responsibility for a peaceful future with security for Israel’s children lies on the shoulders of the Israeli leadership and therefore Netanyahu must immediately initiate a resumption of the diplomatic process, not as a favour to the Palestinians but as a favour to us. The speeches at the UN will not change a thing on the ground and renewing diplomatic negotiations will prevent decisions at the UN and will prevent the isolation of Israel.”
Finance minister Yuval Steinitz threatened severe financial ramifications if Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas forced a UN vote. He warned that Israel might stop the transfer of 40 per cent of the Palestinian Authority’s budget, which Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians through value-added, excise and customs taxes.
Palestinian Liberation Organisation secretary general Yasser Abed Rabbo expressed disappointment over Mr Obama’s address, complaining that there was a “gap between praising the struggle of Arab peoples [other than Palestinians] seeking freedom and an abstract call call for negotiations between us and the Israelis”.
Palestinian members of the delegation in New York were also highly critical of Mr Obama’s speech. They said it was a “stab in the back” and an endorsement of the policies of Mr Netanyahu.
One said that Mr Abbas could not understand why Obama has changed his position regarding a Palestinian state. After all, it was President Obama who said in last year’s address to the UN that a Palestinian state would be established by the next UN meeting this year.