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Last update - 21:53 29/11/2009
Netanyahu: Israel wants peace, but Palestinians don't seem ready
By Gili Izikovitch, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel news 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel was fully committed to renewing Middle East peace negotiations, but questioned whether the Palestinian Authority was prepared to enter the political process.

"It is clear today, to anyone willing to check the facts, that Israel wants peace - to enter the peace process with the aspiration of fulfilling it," Netanyahu told the annual Eilat Journalists Conference. "I don't see the same firmness on the other side."

According to Netanyahu, the government is doing everything in its power to advance the peace process, but has found itself stymied by obstacles from the Palestinian side.
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"I see preconditions being laid that never before existed. I see legal steps being taken at the international court to advance that absurd thing called the Goldstone report. You can't reach peace if the horizon is moving away, and it is moving away because of the stereotype," Netanyahu said, referring to common perceptions of him being a hawk.

The prime minister was also referring to the Palestinian Authority's endorsement of the Goldstone Commission's damning report on the Gaza war, and to complaints it had submitted against Israel to the International Criminal Court.

"I think they need to decide to enter negotiations, because only if we start them, we can finish them," he said.

The prime minister declared that his government was willing to make concessions for peace, difficult as they may be.

"It will be difficult, it will require many concessions from us, it will require self-abnegation, to abandon many of the tactical procedure,s" said Netanyahu. "And that is a strategic decision."

"We are approaching the process, but even now it is not clear who what the leader of the Palestinian side has decided. There is an opportunity here, from an economic perspective too, and because an international coalition is coming together against Iran and its proxies, and because the people in Israel and the Palestinians themselves are tired and want to reach peace already," he said. "I hope the Palestinians will choose to advance peace."

Netanyahu reminded his audience that last year he discussed the deep economic crisis the country was in. This time, he pledged to implement a number of steps, including the building of roads, freeing up land for construction and "a revolution in the planning and construction committees."

"The combination of land, fast transportation and simplifying planning will allow the Israeli economy to grow," the premier said.

Netanyahu also focused on the creation of an international front against the Iranian nuclear program, which he said the government was working "tirelessly" to promote. He noted that last week's strongly worded decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency against Iran, made as a result of U.S. President Barack Obama's efforts, was "important progress, especially as Russia and China had signed on against the Islamic Republic.

"Efforts must continue to focus real pressure and real sanctions," Netanyahu said.
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  1.   Netanyahu 20:00  |  Jacob 29/11/09
  2.   Has anyone told Bibi about illegally acquired territories yet? 20:03  |  CJ 29/11/09
  3.   Netanyahu`s Janus-faced Policies 20:11  |  John Q. Public 29/11/09
  4.   The World thinks in a different way 20:14  |  UK 29/11/09
  5.   Not ready for the old charade 20:16  |  David 29/11/09
  6.   Palestinian not ready for Peace???? 20:28  |  Nshanig 29/11/09
  7.   Talks futile other side cannot deliver peace 20:31  |  bernard ross 29/11/09
  8.   Not Netanyahu`s Peace 20:51  |  alex awad 29/11/09
  9.   The flim flam man fresh from his settlement freeze scam 20:53  |  Labhras 29/11/09
  10.   Whose Peace 20:55  |  jimbo 29/11/09
  11.   Palestinian`s not ready. Hahahaha 21:02  |  alan 29/11/09
  12.   Whose Peace (cont`d) 21:07  |  jimbo 29/11/09
  13.   how about you bibi, are u ready ? 21:15  |  Max 29/11/09
  14.   I have the funny feeling that . . . 21:36  |  Zev Davis 29/11/09
  15.   OBAMA FINALLY KILLED PEACE PROCESS 21:38  |  Ian 29/11/09
  16.   Bibi says "Palestinians not ready for peace" 21:54  |  Claire 29/11/09
  17.   peace 21:59  |  farmer 29/11/09
  18.   bahaha that`s a laugh 22:10  |  Marc Leb 29/11/09
  19.   the PM 22:19  |  TC 29/11/09
  20.   prevaricator 22:33  |  fran 29/11/09
  21.   Bibi is SOOOOOO right 22:37  |  suisse 29/11/09
  22.   Claire 22:39  |  Edifice 29/11/09
  23.   The nerve! 23:01  |  Pierre S 29/11/09
  24.   the plo never wanted peace... 23:05  |  ben 29/11/09
  25.   Incompatible visions of peace 23:13  |  bronxite10 29/11/09
  26.   What negotiations? 23:19  |  un2here 29/11/09
  27.   PEACE WILL COME 23:20  |  suisse 29/11/09
  28.   You really elected this guy? 23:23  |  Bob 29/11/09
  29.   Bibi must surely realize the very partial and parsiminious peace 23:32  |  Esther 29/11/09
  30.   they will never be ready 23:41  |  max 29/11/09
  31.   BS Bibi 23:43  |  Leonard Levy 29/11/09
  32.   Just talking to yourselves, aren`t you? 23:51  |  Johnboy 29/11/09
  33.   netanyahu`s statement 23:58  |  shmendrik nashashibi 29/11/09
  34.   Palis main goal is the same as the PLO 00:00  |  Mongo 30/11/09
  35.   #1, Claire, he is 100% correct. PA doesnt want peace 00:03  |  David 30/11/09
  36.   #2, Farmer, totally wrong, Israel has compromised greatly 00:09  |  David 30/11/09
  37.   No justice, no peace 00:25  |  Kelly 30/11/09
  38.   Gaza was a step in the right direction...... 00:33  |  Arnold 30/11/09
  39.   Has Bibi taken "ill" from to much double think? 00:43  |  jim the mechanic 30/11/09
  40.   the Palistinians 00:59  |  NEVER 30/11/09
  41.   #1..Well,they`re not..peace would cut off their welfare payments. 01:03  |  Tired of the lies 30/11/09
  42.   the Goldstone Commission 01:05  |  would be wise 30/11/09
  43.   This man could not see the truth if it slapped him. 01:23  |  Alistair 30/11/09
  44.   What would peace give the Palestinians? 01:27  |  Janice 30/11/09
  45.   and the absurdity of this is... 01:47  |  Hannibal- 30/11/09
  46.   Palestinians encourage children to die 01:50  |  James Vidas 30/11/09
  47.   Bibi does standup comedy? 02:02  |  American 30/11/09
  48.   PR 02:03  |  JJ 30/11/09
  49.   Who is Bibi fooling? 02:22  |  Marlene N. 30/11/09
  50.   Phase 1 of Road Map is not a Palestinian precondition but 02:39  |  Rick 30/11/09
  51.   Israel wants peace - and earth is a flat disc 02:59  |  ruiz 30/11/09
  52.   israel killing palestinians-so no peace 03:07  |  Yehuda milganovitz 30/11/09
  53.   Bibi is Delusional 03:58  |  Boyd 30/11/09
  54.   Palestinians don`t want peace? 05:09  |  DP 30/11/09
  55.   #3 Well, Israel is not. Peace would cut off US welfare payments 05:30  |  Ryan 30/11/09
  56.   #3....whose welfare payments? 05:31  |  jake 30/11/09
  57.   well said, farmer 05:50  |  mark 30/11/09
  58.   A consummate sophist 05:51  |  ALEX 30/11/09
  59.   #3 Well, that`s certainly some chutzpah. 06:12  |  Johnboy 30/11/09
  60.   Netanyahu needs to define "peace" 06:35  |  One 30/11/09
  61.   come and go 07:27  |  Hirz 30/11/09
  62.   Netanyahu: Israel Wants peace, but... 09:02  |  Loraine 30/11/09
  63.   The price of the `peace` that Bibi`s is offering is so outrageous 10:21  |  Esther 30/11/09
  64.   right 10:22  |  rm 30/11/09
  65.   End of conflict 10:34  |  Tom 30/11/09
  66.   Ah, Bibi the orator about `elusive horizons`... 10:52  |  Esther 30/11/09
  67.   Netanyahu is correct,, Israel wants peace..... 11:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/09
  68.   the number one zionist liar strikes again 11:04  |  John Spear 30/11/09
  69.   Part of Arafat`s plan 11:21  |  Gilad 30/11/09
  70.   netanyahu talks tough but is weak 11:22  |  harzion 30/11/09
  71.   the biggest truth 11:27  |  harzion 30/11/09
  72.   when obama and europe urge us to give up judea 11:30  |  harzion 30/11/09
  73.   SPEAR Why have the Pals not had a state for 60 years?? 11:51  |  PETER SM 30/11/09
  74.   #12, ALEX 11:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/11/09
  75.   #20, Dino, pontifiacting from Swiss 12:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/11/09
  76.   Simple fact Israel is small... 12:32  |  Akram Zekaria 30/11/09
  77.   # 30 Cipora, not THE Swiss, "only" 57 %. of them...:) 12:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/11/09
  78.   what jordan wants 13:16  |  harzion 30/11/09
  79.   Bibi is not even offering HALF a state 13:24  |  r cummings 30/11/09
  80.   Cipora`s supreme wisdom 1 14:01  |  NSM 30/11/09
  81.   Almost nobody believes Israel is enthusiastic about peace. 14:43  |  Michael 30/11/09
  82.   #29 PSM---read likud charter/shamir for your answer 15:16  |  einstein 30/11/09
  83.   ARE THE PALESTINIANS READY FOR PEACE 15:31  |  Mark from Georgia 30/11/09
  84.   Akram 38 and simple ethnic cleansing... 15:32  |  Michael 30/11/09
  85.   Cipora`s supreme wisdom 2 15:43  |  NSM 30/11/09
  86.   DearCipora--You Know Better 16:16  |  Stephen 30/11/09
  87.   nsm "all that military aid" 16:42  |  harzion 30/11/09
  88.   johnboy the land belongs to the jews 16:46  |  harzion 30/11/09
  89.   Too bad Kohn/Akram secaria and co will not be around for the Bi 16:53  |  einstein 30/11/09
  90.   To the Swiss Bigot (# 40) 16:56  |  flyingdoc57 30/11/09
  91.   Is israel ready to comply with UN resolutions yes or no? 16:58  |  jens 30/11/09
  92.   netanyahu still committed to the same old 16:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 30/11/09
  93.   harzion a brilliant mind 17:12  |  michael 30/11/09
  94.   r cummings for once you are wrong 17:35  |  directrob 30/11/09
  95.   Kelly From LA- Which justice? 17:50  |  David Israel 30/11/09
  96.   michael "harzion is a coward" 17:59  |  harzion 30/11/09
  97.   #79 jens on the tivoli with total crap as suggestions 18:02  |  vhardman 30/11/09
  98.   #65 Swiss (Dino) 18:06  |  Gilad 30/11/09
  99.   michael "america saved israel in 1973" 18:06  |  harzion 30/11/09
  100.   Swiss (Dino) Talk about giving a hoot 18:09  |  David Israel 30/11/09
  101.   that michael was what the usa did for israel 18:13  |  harzion 30/11/09
  102.   and michael proof that we have plenty of knowledge 18:26  |  harzion 30/11/09
  103.   This is certainly true by Israel and PA actions. 18:28  |  David 30/11/09
  104.   It doesn`t matter what Bibi offers ... 18:55  |  Jasper 30/11/09
  105.   harzion 19:02  |  michael 30/11/09
  106.   #99HARZION,DON`T THANK KISSINGER 19:24  |  Ian 30/11/09
  107.   Swiss (Dino): What do you mean ONLY 57%? 20:26  |  Lee 30/11/09
  108.   Bibi 20:38  |  zkt83 30/11/09
  109.   #79 Since when r is East Jerusalem a capital of fictitious Palest 21:12  |  BIG SUR 30/11/09
  110.   Cummings, a Middle East real estate agent 21:23  |  SDHD 30/11/09
  111.   Israel is the Aggressor 21:49  |  Vladek 30/11/09
  112.   "Preconditions that never before existed" 21:53  |  Ibrahim 30/11/09
  113.   Is more proof of travesty needed...? 22:41  |  Esther 30/11/09
  114.   NSM 22:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/11/09
  115.   #74, Cipora Julianna Kohn 23:26  |  ALEX 30/11/09
  116.   Hate 03:42  |  sfg 01/12/09
  117.   Netanyahu: Israel wants peace 04:18  |  Paul 01/12/09
  118.   Harzion 04:35  |  John 01/12/09
  119.   Crying "Likud Charter",desperate nonsense.The PM of Israel has 08:05  |  PETER SM 01/12/09
  120.   31~ Leonard Levy first thing first .. (2) 08:55  |  Akram Zekaria 01/12/09
  121.   EINSTEIN Likud was NOTin govt in 1948 when Pals refused statehood 09:39  |  PETER SM 01/12/09
  122.   SULLIVAN Why not call his bluff?? Can always walk away 09:44  |  PETER SM 01/12/09
  123.   PETER SM - The Palestinians have not had a state because 11:15  |  CJ 01/12/09
  124.   Cipora Julianna Kohn - Swiss/minarets/Palestinians??? 11:17  |  CJ 01/12/09
  125.   harzion - Er when will Israel use it`s airforce for the US? 12:48  |  CJ 01/12/09
  126.   CJ from Sydney - Azerbijan 15:32  |  David Israel 01/12/09
  127.   #11 Allan - London 17:40  |  *BEN JABO 01/12/09
  128.   124~ CJ 07:02  |  Akram Zekaria 03/12/09
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