Binyamin Netanyahu may yield to two-state solution after pressure from Obama (TimesOnline)

[jefferson_dem]

June 12, 2009

Binyamin Netanyahu may yield to two-state solution after pressure from Obama

Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to endorse a “two-state solution” in a much-heralded speech this weekend, but he may stall on American demands to freeze Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Feeling the squeeze between the US Administration, which wants a moratorium on settlement growth and a commitment to a Palestinian state, and his national-religious coalition, which favours neither, the Israeli Prime Minister appears likely to try to steer a middle course.

Israeli newspapers were full of speculation about what Mr Netanyahu — who has so far refused openly to back a Palestinian state alongside Israel — might offer to deflect pressure from Washington. Ehud Barak, his Defence Minister, urged him this week to recognise a Palestinian state, but members of Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party have cautioned him against the move.

Haaretz, the centre-left newspaper, said that the Prime Minister was likely to mention a two-state solution and pledge to adhere to the “road map” — a US-brokered document that calls for an end to Israeli settlement building and a clampdown on militant groups by the Palestinian Authority. The road map was adopted in 2003 but both sides have accused each other of failing to meet their obligations.

The Israeli media have predicted that when he speaks at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv on Sunday night, Mr Netanyahu will recommend an immediate resumption of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, but will also set out some demands, including that the Palestinians should recognise the state of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people.

While accepting the road map Mr Netanyahu is not thought to be planning to mention an explicit freeze on settlements, as demanded by President Obama in his keynote speech to the Muslim world in Cairo last week.

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6482077.ece

[Clio the Leo]

1. baby steps ..... sometimes progress comes in baby steps.... NT

[grantcart]

2. Just wait until Iran election results are in

[Aristus]

3. Ole Ben just doesn't want to see all that glittery American arms money go away.

Israel makes some excellent jets and tanks, but they can't do it without American funding...

[timeforpeace]

4. Good news.

[Cha]

5. Hope everything goes well

in tomorrow's Iranian election. Please keep the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

[boppers]

6. Yeah, seen this before.

They'd be happy to take 99% of the land, and make the other 1% a "Palestinian State", if it would fix the problem.

I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't.