Incoming Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised yesterday to resume peace talks with the Palestinians after he takes office, saying his government will be a “partner for peace.”
The comments were the latest sign that Netanyahu is trying to temper his image as an opponent of the peace process. The Palestinians welcomed Netanyahu’s words, but said his words must be matched by actions.
Netanyahu led his Likud Party to a strong showing in last month’s elections by campaigning on a message that was harshly critical of the outgoing government’s peace efforts. He said the Palestinians were not ready for independence, and said he would limit his efforts to developing their economy while continuing Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank.
But facing the prospect of a clash with the Obama administration and the rest of the international community, Netanyahu has been softening his line in recent days.
Speaking at an economic conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said his development plan is not a substitute for political negotiations.
“It’s a complement to them,” he said, calling a strong economy a “strong foundation for peace.”
Netanyahu said that peace is a “common and enduring goal for all Israelis and Israeli governments, mine included. This means I will negotiate with the Palestinian Authority for peace.”
“I think that the Palestinians should understand that they have in our government a partner for peace, for security, for the rapid development of the Palestinian economy,” he said.
Netanyahu spoke just hours after the centrist Labor Party voted on Tuesday night to join his coalition.
Labor delegates voted to back a coalition deal that party leader Ehud Barak had reached, despite opposition from many in the party.
“I congratulate you for entering into a unity government at this crucial time,” Netanyahu told Barak after the vote.
Bibi, as Netanyahu is popularly known, now has a 66-member coalition in the 120-seat parliament — 27 from his Likud party, 15 from ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, 11 from ultra-Orthodox Shas and 13 from Labor.
The addition of Labor gives a moderate voice. Labor led the country for decades, and signed peace agreements with the Palestinians and Jordan in the 1990s.
In order to court Labor, Netanyahu promised to maintain peace negotiations. However, their deal was ambiguous about what exactly he is prepared to offer.
Most critically, it does not explicitly call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on captured lands now occupied by Israel. Netanyahu has said he will allow existing Jewish settlements in the West Bank to expand.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat cautiously hailed Netanyahu’s remarks, but said the next government had to commit to establishing a Palestinian state.
“Any Israeli government that accepts the two-state solution, negotiates with us on all core issues without exception, and agrees to stop settlement activity ... will be a partner,” he said. “It’s time for deeds from both sides as far as their commitments are concerned, not words.”
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said Middle East peace efforts were not getting any “easier” with a government headed by Netanyahu, but that they were “just as necessary.”
He also told a press conference on Tuesday that his administration would strive toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
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