Netanyahu to Abbas, in English: ‘Give peace a chance’

The Times of Israel ^ | June 5, 2013, 5:29 pm | Raphael Ahren and Adiv Sterman

[haffast]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to return to the negotiating table without preconditions.

“Since he doesn’t speak Hebrew, and my Arabic isn’t great, I will turn to him in a language we both understand,” Netanyahu said at a special Knesset session dedicated to the Israeli-Arab conflict. “I say: Give peace a chance,” he said, alluding to the title of John Lennon’s 1969 classic.

snip

Appearing in the plenum because 40 MKs had signed a petition forcing him to address the topic of the Arab Peace Initiative, the prime minister said that he was ready to resume negotiations with the Palestinians at any time and was ready to make sacrifices to arrive at an agreement.

“In my three terms as prime minister I took many difficult decisions: in the areas of the economy and foreign policy, and first and foremost in the realm of security. And now, too, I’m ready to make difficult decisions in order to advance peace, but not if this in any way hurts the security of Israel’s citizens. But we’re not the only ones who have to take tough decisions, the Palestinians too have to do this,” the prime minister said in his native tongue.

“Don’t miss this opportunity,” he added, lamenting that during the last four years, he and Abbas had only spoken for a total of “a few hours.”

snip

[haffast]

“Iran has accumulated 180 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent,” Netanyahu continued. “A little over half a year ago, it had 110 kilos… It has not yet crossed the red line I set for it the UN, but it is getting closer.”

Maybe Obama, Netanyahu, and Putin are sharing a red crayon?

Windows and doors closing.

[veracious]

To which Abbas whispers: we make everything pieceful.