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Last update - 07:32 11/06/2009
Netanyahu's speech: Yes to road map, no to settlement freeze
By Aluf Benn and Barak Ravid
Tags: Palestinians 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will announce in his foreign policy speech scheduled for Sunday the adoption of the road map and the "two-state solution" for settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, according to sources close to the prime minister. The sources said the speech will "revolve around the road map."

Netanyahu will present a few conditions for the implementation of the road map, above all a Palestinian recognition of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. He will also demand that the future Palestinian state be demilitarized.

The prime minister will propose the immediate renewal of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority on the basis of a formula that will allow for self-government as long as the Palestinians do not endanger Israel.
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In the speech at Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv, Netanyahu will discuss at length the opportunity that has been created for cooperation between Israel and the Arab states in light of shared concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

Netanyahu will propose a regional process in which Arab states will initiate the normalization of ties with Israel, in parallel to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

The final draft of the speech will only be completed over the weekend.

President Shimon Peres is to meet with Netanyahu today to persuade him to adopt more moderate views regarding the Palestinians. Netanyahu is also to submit a draft of the speech to Defense Minister Ehud Barak tomorrow.

In his speech Sunday, at a bastion of Israel's national-religious movement, Netanyahu will declare that the settlements in the West Bank are not an obstacle to peace.

In recent days Netanyahu has asked his aides to collect data on the settlements. Sources close to the prime minister said Netanyahu will not announce during his speech a freeze on construction in the settlements, as the United States has insisted Israel must do.

Channel 2 news reported Wednesday that Netanyahu has evaluated a number of ways of freezing settlement construction, including issuing a temporary (several months) hold on new construction starts in return for reciprocal measures on the part of the Palestinians and Arab states. Another option is declaring a freeze on construction in Jerusalem, or in the settlement blocs, but these are not expected to be mentioned in the speech.

Sources close to Netanyahu maintain that he will try to reach a tacit understanding with U.S. President Barack Obama on the suspension of construction for a specific period of time.

The differences in the positions of Israel and the U.S. on building in in the settlements narrowed in the wake of talks between U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell and Netanyahu Tuesday. The prime minister and his aides presented a proposal to break down the issue of natural growth in the settlements according to various types of construction, such as new building, the expansion of existing structures and the construction of public housing.

A Jerusalem source said the talks, which lasted about four hours, "resulted in a great deal of progress," as a result of the more flexible proposals put forth by Netanyahu on the settlements.

A senior Washington source confirmed that progress had been achieved, but stressed that "our position on the need to cease settlement construction has not been altered at all. The talks were good and we will continue in a few days."

The Prime Minister's Bureau refused to comment.

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    Panic or delusion?
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    Recipe for peace
    Israel and the Palestinians need to spell the rules of the game, let the referee blow the whistle
      1.   War is Peace? 08:15  |  un2here 11/06/09
      2.   A big fat nothing. There`s nothing new here 08:20  |  Muslim 11/06/09
      3.   Incidently, is he going to speak in english? 08:23  |  Muslim 11/06/09
      4.   "conditions for the implementation of the road map" 08:38  |  Zev 11/06/09
      5.   50 Ways to Leave Your Lover 09:06  |  Paul Simon 11/06/09
      6.   Another Israeli attempt to buy time and delay peace. 09:46  |  Michael 11/06/09
      7.   Tacit understanding 09:51  |  Alan 11/06/09
      8.   can`t change the rules of the game 10:49  |  John of Jordan 11/06/09
      9.   Bye bye illegal settlements 11:09  |  Matty Groves 11/06/09
      10.   To Muchael #6 11:14  |  Yosi 11/06/09
      11.   No Natural growth = Placing Jews in Ghettos 11:24  |  Yehuda 11/06/09
      12.   be smart 11:33  |  ehud 11/06/09
      13.   purposely a non-starter 11:37  |  digusting 11/06/09
      14.   `Land for Peace`? 11:44  |  Joseph 11/06/09
      15.   Israel expects to keep on playing the same delaying tactics 11:45  |  lydia 11/06/09
      16.   Another Bibi Game 11:52  |  MB 11/06/09
      17.   MICHAEL UK have you heard the speech yet? 11:55  |  PETER SM 11/06/09
      18.   sucks to be Netanyahu 11:58  |  ishu 11/06/09
      19.   now - 11:59  |  justathought 11/06/09
      20.   bibi think twice 11:59  |  oz 11/06/09
      21.   U-Turn 12:11  |  Iain 11/06/09
      22.   LOL, that is like the Palestinians "accepting" the Road Map.... 12:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/06/09
      23.   To Yosi 12:25  |  Sam Soul 11/06/09
      24.   To Yehuda - Missusing of Holocoust 12:26  |  Youkum 11/06/09
      25.   #14 Thanks for the platitudes, Joseph 12:34  |  Johnboy 11/06/09
      26.   Idiotic doublespeak. Freeze is part of the roadmap. 12:35  |  Gray 11/06/09
      27.   Hamas agrees to road map - except all the conditions 12:45  |  ahmed 11/06/09
      28.   Mission Impossible, the Road Map. 12:56  |  Stephen. 11/06/09
      29.   Natural growth becomes moot 12:59  |  Natallie Durson 11/06/09
      30.   Whatever Netanyahu will be saying will be pure old Netanyahu! 13:04  |  S 11/06/09
      31.   UN2 Here War is saying No peace ever and no recognised borders 13:15  |  PETER SM 11/06/09
      32.   Everybody has forgotten what the Pals have to do 13:37  |  Wile E Coyote 11/06/09
      33.   The trickery slippery slope 14:03  |  Lars Hansen 11/06/09
      34.   I ADMIRE BIBI FOR SUCH BOLD STATEMENT 14:05  |  indrajaya 11/06/09
      35.   Same old, same old 14:06  |  Mark Lincoln 11/06/09
      36.   Poor old Netanyahu 14:09  |  Chris Linthwaite 11/06/09
      37.   In your face Obama. The 14 reservations 14:14  |  Marteen Both 11/06/09
      38.   Well, seems like positive progress indeed 14:19  |  Smadar 11/06/09
      39.   Putting the cart infront of the horse 14:21  |  Roger Bannister 11/06/09
      40.   Ach du liebe Bibi und die Lebensraum 14:24  |  David D 11/06/09
      41.   IAIN"The final draft of the speech will only be completed over-" 15:40  |  PETER SM 11/06/09
      42.   No to settlement freeze???!!!!????? 15:46  |  Justine Effort 11/06/09
      43.   STPHEN GENEVE@ 28 I SENT YOU POSTS CONGRATULATING YOUR STYLE. 15:50  |  KATHY 11/06/09
      44.   Oh, Please... 15:54  |  Rod 11/06/09
      45.   netanyahu`s litany of no, no, no 16:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 11/06/09
      46.   Joseph 16:23  |  Matty Groves 11/06/09
      47.   #43 its time to pay the penny and stop the settlements. 16:23  |  muslim-- 11/06/09
      48.   #43 its time to pay the penny and stop the settlements. 16:23  |  muslim-- 11/06/09
      49.   disgraceful 16:23  |  no palestinian state 11/06/09
      50.   President Obama 16:23  |  Stephanie Varnado 11/06/09
      51.   The PA have kkept their end of the deal 16:24  |  r cummings 11/06/09
      52.   you reealize w/o US aid and support you will fall in a day? 16:24  |  make my day 11/06/09
      53.   To indrajaya 16:28  |  Oleg 11/06/09
      54.   a contradiction Mr Natanyahu 16:40  |  lemouel 11/06/09
      55.   It is Israel`s Land 16:49  |  Brod 11/06/09
      56.   No to settlement freeze???!!!!????? 16:58  |  Andy 11/06/09
      57.   what is the speach for? 17:00  |  David 11/06/09
      58.   to Muslim ...little by little Natanyahu will be REALISTIC 17:16  |  Antonio da Silva 11/06/09
      59.   So? 17:18  |  Pablo Luis 11/06/09
      60.   Natural groth means more land grabbing 17:21  |  Antonio da Silva 11/06/09
      61.   to indrajaya.......Mr.Obama is an HONEST and REALISTIC MAN!! 17:24  |  Antonio da Silva 11/06/09
      62.   to Swiss (Dino). 17:28  |  Antonio da Silva 11/06/09
      63.   to no Palestinian State 17:30  |  Antonio da Silva 11/06/09
      64.   Linthwaite is entertained 17:36  |  rich 11/06/09
      65.   #38 You are reading a hebrew version of this article, Smadar? 17:48  |  Johnboy 11/06/09
      66.   Not in my lifetime..not ever 3rd attempt 18:05  |  Bibi 11/06/09
      67.   Double speak, delay tactics, more of the same 18:15  |  American 11/06/09
      68.   Netanyahu in a corner 18:16  |  Arnold Eber 11/06/09
      69.   What is on the line here is Obama, not Netanyahu 18:19  |  Andrea Nadir 11/06/09
      70.   Bibi is no fool 18:37  |  yeiel 11/06/09
      71.   Why bother, it is just a sham. 18:40  |  Witnness 11/06/09
      72.   Netanyahu will not last long anyway 18:51  |  Tarek 11/06/09
      73.   Go to elections 19:20  |  Student 11/06/09
      74.   Re #36 19:24  |  RME 11/06/09
      75.   One State 19:28  |  Haytham 11/06/09
      76.   yeiel:listen to yourself #50 19:35  |  Yaakov Sullivan 11/06/09
      77.   Peace by Marathon stopper? 19:55  |  H.H.M 11/06/09
      78.   Doesn`t matter 20:00  |  Michael 11/06/09
      79.   Israeli voters gave Two State Final Solution a resounding "NO". 20:16  |  Chaim 11/06/09
      80.   50 - Yeiel 20:38  |  r cummings 11/06/09
      81.   In other words, nothing new 21:00  |  Giora Me`ir 11/06/09
      82.   Freeze has already started 21:07  |  Jackie 11/06/09
      83.   The Best Compromise Netanyahu Can Hope For 21:27  |  Shaul Ben-Yimini 11/06/09
      84.   reminders 21:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 11/06/09
      85.   Bibi need time, of course - lots of it 22:18  |  David 11/06/09
      86.   YES to Which Roadmap? 22:27  |  Mark of Lewiston 11/06/09
      87.   To Yosi about Michael #6 22:35  |  Gamba 11/06/09
      88.   Over 40 Years of Lies, Deceit and Distortion 22:36  |  Yaakov Sullivan 11/06/09
      89.   One Way or Another Settlements Will Go 22:40  |  Jane 11/06/09
      90.   Wow Israel Hate Fest Here 22:53  |  rich 11/06/09
      91.   Netanyahu`s speech: Yes to road map, no to settlement freeze - By 23:38  |  Stephen 11/06/09
      92.   HARK AT YAAK.DO AS I SAY BIT@53..OKAY FOR YOU YAAK` 23:46  |  KATHY 11/06/09
      93.   A Political Ponzi Scheme 00:02  |  Binyamin 12/06/09
      94.   Bibi`s compromise,in my opinion will specifically 00:10  |  Mark 12/06/09
      95.   Settlements nor Security is an obsticale to peace 00:52  |  Tupac 12/06/09
      96.   Previous agreements 01:53  |  Iain 12/06/09
      97.   Isn`t that a non-sequitur? 02:27  |  Colin Wright 12/06/09
      98.   a transfer of population 02:32  |  Patrick 12/06/09
      99.   Obama bringing judgement on US ?? 02:33  |  BILL 12/06/09
      100.   Defence is the best offence 02:43  |  Jeff hohnstine 12/06/09
      101.   Netanyahu must not know what a compromise is... 02:44  |  Lasmarch 12/06/09
      102.   The Palestinians destroyed 1-State now wants to destroy 2-States! 02:45  |  Akram Zekaria 12/06/09
      103.   SULLIVAN listen to your brothers instead of feigning innocence 04:27  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      104.   Netanyahu`s mentor ! 04:37  |  Akram Zekaria 12/06/09
      105.   #59 It is a contradiction in terms, Colin 04:48  |  Johnboy 12/06/09
      106.   IAIN The road map was performance based 04:49  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      107.   #62 Interesting claim, Jeff hohnstine 04:51  |  Johnboy 12/06/09
      108.   MARTEEN BOTH.The reservations were under Sharon.He is no longer 04:58  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      109.   JOHNBOY only a contradiction with established frontiers.. 05:18  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      110.   Re john Of jordan 05:56  |  shlomog 12/06/09
      111.   #75, PETER SM, using wikipedia..lol 06:09  |  VIPER 12/06/09
      112.   Caradon 06:10  |  Iain 12/06/09
      113.   Netanyahu`s speech: lost in road map translations 06:15  |  maoriboy 12/06/09
      114.   More of the same two-faced garbage from Israeli leaders 06:16  |  peacelover 12/06/09
      115.   Acceptance of Road Map implies.... 06:36  |  Smadar 12/06/09
      116.   VIPER The quotes I use are substantited and sourced. 06:44  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      117.   #59, Jane 06:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/06/09
      118.   #28, Stephen, all very true 06:54  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 12/06/09
      119.   Wile E Coyote - Reread Roadmap 07:06  |  Roadrunner 12/06/09
      120.   Lets define a road map in any true aspect. 07:09  |  Mark 12/06/09
      121.   #79 Peter has a good point,or does he? 07:49  |  maoriboy 12/06/09
      122.   IAIN Diplomatic ambiguity is correct."All things to all men" 07:57  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      123.   Colin the Road Map is to Israel a menu, they order... 07:58  |  BBSNews 12/06/09
      124.   The only way Israel can continue to exist 08:01  |  Alan 12/06/09
      125.   # 67 Colin Wright many sattlers are criminals 08:19  |  C2 12/06/09
      126.   Not an Israel Hater 08:44  |  Ray 12/06/09
      127.   IAIN Diplomatic ambiguity is correct.Arabs kicking Jews out of 09:23  |  PETER SM 12/06/09
      128.   peter sm doesn`t read papers! 09:56  |  Truth 12/06/09
      129.   BORDERS must be the core Issue 2B discuss. 11:34  |  Joe Harris 12/06/09
      130.   BIbi is using the SAME OLD delaying tactics TRICKS 11:46  |  Bongo 12/06/09
      131.   TO JANE@89 I ASSURE YOU IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.EVEN.. 16:32  |  KATHY 12/06/09
      132.   What a non-event.... 02:30  |  Silvienne 13/06/09
      133.   Roadmap to Peace 19:50  |  Rose 14/06/09
      134.   In Other Words ... 05:46  |  Bad Headline 16/06/09
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