THE TELEGRAPH: Palestinian leaders have rejected Benjamin Netanyahu's terms for a two-state solution, claiming the Israeli prime minister's speech on Sunday "sabotaged" the peace process.
They said that Mr Netanyahu had set impossible conditions for a Palestinian state and called on the international community to confront the Israeli premier, who endorsed the conditional creation of a Palestinian state for the first time, but refused to end Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank, where the Palestinians hope to build a future state.
Mr Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said: "Netanyahu's remarks have sabotaged all initiatives, paralysed all efforts being made and challenges the Palestinian, Arab and American positions."
Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said the speech "closed the door to permanent status negotiations".
He added: "We ask the world not to be fooled by his use of the term Palestinian state because he qualified it.
"He declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, said refugees would not be negotiated and that settlements would remain."
Yasser Abed Rabbo, an adviser to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, said: "The international community should confront this policy, through which Netanyahu wants to kill off any chance for peace.
"They must isolate and confront this policy which Mr Netanyahu is adopting and exert pressure on him so that he adheres to international legitimacy and the road map," he added, referring to a US and European-supported 2003 peace plan.
The Palestinians are irate over Mr Netanyahu's condition that they recognise Israel's legitimate right to exist as a Jewish state, ensuring Palestinian refugees and their descendents who have lived outside of Israel's borders since 1948 are not allowed to return.
Mr Netanyahu also said such a state must be demilitarised and promised that all of Jerusalem would remain as Israel's capital despite the Palestinian desire to make the eastern part of the city, a traditionally Arab area, their future capital one day. >>> By Dina Kraft in Tel Aviv | Monday, June 15, 2009
THE TELEGRAPH: Benjamin Netanyahu Speech on Palestinian State an Important Step Forward, Says Barack Obama
Benjamin Netanyahu's speech endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state was "an important step forward," the White House said on Sunday.
President Barack Obama "welcomes the important step forward in Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech," Robert Gibbs, the president's spokesman, said in a statement.
In the speech, the Israeli prime minister endorsed for the first time the creation of a Palestinian state, provided it was demilitarised, after weeks of pressure from Washington.
The speech, which was billed as a response to Mr Obama's address to the Muslim world ten days ago, ruled out a complete halt to settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, which Mr Obama also has insisted on.
The White House statement reiterated Mr Obama's commitment to a two-state solution, with a Jewish state of Israel and an independent Palestine "in the historic homeland of both peoples." >>> | Sunday, June 14, 2009
