Posted on 08/26/2009 5:32:22 AM PDT by SJackson
London - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of a crucial round of diplomatic talks in Europe Tuesday that progress in the Middle East peace process would 'confound cynics and surprise the world.'
Speaking in London after a meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Netanyahu said he had outlined what he called the 'winning formula' for Middle East peace.
'We need a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes Israel,' Netanyahu told reporters after the one-hour meeting. 'Recognition is the pillar of peace.'
Brown said the talks had been 'as realistic as ever but more optimistic' than in the past. Britain was giving its full support to the 'strategy' of US President Barack Obama to promote the peace process, said Brown, who called for an 'economic roadmap to underpin the political dialogue.'
Brown stressed that the government in London regarded the continued and controversial Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories as a 'barrier to peace.'
The two leaders also discussed Iran's nuclear ambitions and condemned recent outspoken attacks on Israel by the leadership in Tehran.
'Such diatribe has no place in the civilized world,' said Brown.
Netanyahu, who is due to meet George Mitchell, Obama's Middle East envoy, in London on Wednesday, stressed that progress had already been made in the peace process.
'We hope to move forward in the next months and weeks,' said the Israeli leader.
'With the help of our friends in the US, Britain and elsewhere we can achieve progress that will confound the cynics and surprise the world,' he added.
He urged the Palestinian leadership to move forward in a 'courageous' way and tell their people: 'It's over, there is going to be real, final peace.'
On the vexed issue of Israeli settlements, Netanyahu said he hoped to find a 'bridging formula' that would enable residents already living there to lead a 'normal life.'
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad urged European leaders Tuesday to urge Israel to stop building homes on occupied land.
'What we're dealing with here are prerequisites to success. We're dealing with issues that do not exceed doing what is minimal in order for the process to begin to make sense,' he said in a BBC interview.
'All we're discussing is to stop settlement activity, to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.'
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Uh... what ?
I got a bad feeling BiBi is heading down the same path as others before him - give up land for security and get more Mooselimb attacks.
I thot Bibi was a hardliner. He going for the Begin approach to peace?
I thought the pillar of peace was blowing away your enemies.
Rahm’s father is/was part of Irgun. Begin lead Irgun.
This turn of events doesn’t really surprise me.
While I do not believe Obamessiah is the antichrist (he has the spirit of antichrist), I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a 7-year peace treaty.
From reports, Bibi is right. The world will be surprised to learn that he is selling out the Nation of Israel, betraying her people and making under-the-table deals with Hussein the Kenyan!
“While I do not believe Obamessiah is the antichrist (he has the spirit of antichrist), I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a 7-year peace treaty.”
You took the words right out of my mouth ;-)
Israel’s enemies have been known to fib a bit.
Those quotes don't sound very typical for Netanyahu, but he may just be mouthing nice platitudes for the the leftist Euros' consumption.
Everyone, especially Netanyahu, knows that Paestinian "recognition" of Israel means a complete change in the Pali state of mind; no more war and no more terrorism against Israel. It's merely a hypothetical at this point.
Note: The following news brief is a quote:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3767786,00.html
MK Akunis: Talks with Palestinians will be different this time
Published: 08.26.09, 22:09 / Israel News
MK Ofir Akunis (Likud) said that the current government would hold more demanding talks with the Palestinians than its predecessor.
“In negotiations they will have to prove to Israel that they want peace no less than we do,” Akunis said. “There will be no freezing of construction in Judea and Samaria and we will not disrupt the lives of people there.” (Amnon Meranda)
Watching and waiting...
The only way they can “prove” they want peace, is by actually living in peace. And that tested over a very long period of time. And for over 60 years what they have “proved” is that they don’t want peace.
And they never will, the root cause of the conflict is Islam.
The world isn’t inching forward, it is moving at the speed of sound!
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