Netanyahu to U.S. Jews: Direct Mideast talks will begin very soon

After Abbas succeeded Arafat he was ignored by Israel. No Israeli pliticians would give him the time of day. After Hamas was elected to government by the Palestinian people, Israel suddenly began courting Abbas and giving him much attention. His faction was trained and supplied by Israel. Promises were made to him by Israel. After Abbas faction failed on the coup attempt which Israel directed them to take against Hamas, Israeli politicians again distanced themselves from Abbas. Soon Abbas realized that he had been used by Israel and they intended to give him nothing to take home to his people. He became the defacto leader of the Palestinians even though his term of office had expired and there was no effective elected government.. Now Israel has to deal with him again, but Abbas has learned that he can't trust Israelis to do what they promise. The question now is, will Abbas become a lap dog for Israel as he was before or will he make an attempt to represent his people, even though they have much reason not to trust him. Will Abbas attempt a "self rehabilitation"? The only way for him to proceed is to avoid participating in Israel peace fakery meant to give cover to settlement expansion.

This is a waste of time and a coverup for Israel to create facts on the ground. In fact Israel is kiling every possibility of peace with the so called moderate Arabs. Already only the one State solution is possible. After few years, Isreal disparition would be the solution. The more Israel politicians smart, the less they would get. The Arabo-Muslim camp is getting bold, the agents and tails of Israel and the West are on the decline. Cheap and easy victories are gone foreever. Even Master US and Europe which are behind the Jewish implantation in Palestine are for a big and historic loss vs Muslims.

... he totes around his willingness for "direct talks", simply because he know that when settlement building resumes (actually it never really stopped), direct talks become a travesty that will be rejected by the Pals... then he can say to Obama and the world: "Nu you see, the Pals shy away from talking..." And then of course back-to-square one... Bibi is buying time...

No-one knows the Israeli borders. Are Hamas supposed to recognise some nebulous entity which could eventually lead to further loss of territory for them?

Mr. Abbas has NO mandate for any talking, because his presidential mandate got out in January 2009. And there was no new election in occupied a ghettoized Palestine. So, whom then wants Mr. Netanyahu to talk directly?

This is only diplomatic play to calm down the muslims.This region never wanted peace due to Israel is begger of U.S jewish aid.Also Philistina is begger of Muslim countries aid.Israel and Philistina are looks like each other.Israel and Philistina are getting so valuable in front of their Lords if they kill more people.These are chronical illness.Therefore it should be talked about war instead of peace.

Abbas has proposed highly specific topics for discussion and declared his willingness to directly negotiate. So why does Mr. Natanyahu say that the time has (only now) come for Abbas to prepare to meet directly??? Abbas has been prepared for a long time now. Talks can proceed whenever Mr. Neatnyahu stops equivocating and applies himself to the task. So appoint a negotiator and schedule the first meeting. What is so difficult about that?

Who does Netanyahu think Hamas thinks they are talking to when they are negotiating prisoner exchange together? Let Netanyahu recognize that Hamas recognizes exactly who and what it's up against, and get cracking without delay for yet another extension of this nonsense. After all, has Netanyahu "recognized" Hamas as a legitimate party with democratically elected representatives?

Pals must be patient and suffer the occupation until the 2 state solution is no longer viable. The biggest losers out of a 2 state solution will be the pals, no doubt about that.

they still dream on not exsist full palestin over whnle israel territory. this is the main problem !

Past history indicated that Israel is just buying time...the palestinian went into direct negotiation before but got nowhere...Israel wants peace on its terms ie peace and Land..this does not work

They want Israel, sadly this is a conflict that will not go away without a tremendous loss of life

It's been fairly quiet lately. That may be a good sign.

Israel has absolutely NO intention of there being a two state solution, and Bibi is lying through his teeth as he acts out his little charade and bides his time. IF Israel was indeed interested in negotiating an agreement to end the conflict and create a Palestinian state, settlement building would have already been STOPPED; not just placed in a temporary, and partial, freeze. There shouldn't even be a NEED to demand an end to settlement building as a precondition - it should be a GIVEN(along with the nefarious accoutrements that accompany it)! The fact that it's not belies Israel's intentions, and reveals Netanyahu's song and dance for the smokescreen that it IS. So who would invest huge amounts of money and resources building housing and infrastructure on land they'll soon be required to vacate? Would Israel?

I wonder if he checked with Abbas. It seems we are still on the Israeli merry-go-round, with style replacing substance. This situation is going to require the UN to take control and tell both sides when, where, and how the new Palestinian state will be. Israel cannot be allowed to continue its 'talk it to death' policy. It's like getting into an argument with a naughty child who keeps you talking until you forget why he needs to be punished. It won't work anymore. Bibi may have the US snowed, but there is more to the world than these two countries.

There is absolutely nothing newsworthy here. This is like a TV show for pure, stupid entertainment. No one believes any of this including the main characters. What a waste of time.

bibi is once again declaring that "X will happen" without consulting the other side. i seem to recall just two days ago the lead negotiator for the PA said that direct talks COULD NOT HAPPEN until he gives them a border plan. i can say that "i will marry brad pitt", but unless brad pitt consents then it will not happen. bibi seems incapable of understanding this third-grade logic.

'It’s over, enough with the bloodshed.'" Yes of course !.. But enough with the occupation, suppression and give he palestinians their natural rights to live free in their home land.

To cry peace, peace, when there is no peace, as the Jewish prophet, Jeremiah, taught us long ago, is not an expression of hope but a foolish and dangerous abrogation of reality. It dulls the mind and the aspiration of a people who then become lost and blinded under a veritable veil of deception. The Arab world respects strength. It treats concessions with complete and utter scorn. It considers overtures of peace as a sign of weakness and becomes emboldened in its aggression. No! to concessions : Read more at http://xrl.us/biz8x

Pity Israel with G-dless leaders who fear only the few gentile leftist leaders and are about to strip israel whether its own citizens like it or not.

Because for 40 years those 'claims' have done nothing but deepen the conflict, complicate the facts on the ground - possibly to an extent that can't be remedied - and whittle away the territory for any future Palestinian state. And right off the bat, Netanyahu's expectations regarding the Jordan Valley, is one of those 'old' Israeli claims which, as Logios points out in the first post, no longer holds water.

The sooner the better we will know what the arabs really want and we will know if they accept Israel as a State

Just finished listening to Bibi on the Larry King Live show. He was REALLY impressive. A better spokesman for Israel to the american people could not be imagined. Gonna be hard for the "palestinian-americans" to rain on this parade!

Palis seem to have infinite capacity for punishment..

this is all getting way too hilarious. four years ago, hamas said that they would recognize israel if israel reverted to 1967 borders. israel responded that they would revert to 1967 borders when hamas recognizes them. now netanyahu says that he will define borders when direct talks begin, while the PA has said from day one that direct talks will start when borders are defined. these fools are incapable of making decisions and all sides are acting like children. an imposed solution is inevitable.

I best not say it for you. bless you my child.

And very very long... How about a little freeze to (all) the settlements first mr PM?

An attack on Israel from somewhere is a sure bet, since the root cause is religious, not political, and the passing of Saddam is not going to change that. The attack may not come from the east, but to not consider it is dumb. There are about a half dozen passes up from the valley that need to be controlled as well as certain roads in the WB. If the Pals ever get to the point where they really want a state in the WB, they will have to cooperate on this strategic issue, and accept the fact that they will not be armed.

A Palestinian state depends on Iraq. The excuses never end do they Bibi?

However the Arab States' past wars against the presence of a Jewish State and their ongoing aggressive chorus of demands for Israel to withdraw to previous vulnerable lines of defence (or to pack up and get out altogether) leaves Israel with no choice but to demand special security zones to counter the much expected military deliveries of armaments to the future Palestinian State for eventual usage against Israel. This demand of course will be not acceptable to the PA/Hamas because of their policital and religious convictions but that's tough for these rejectionists as this is a lot more (if anything) than would be offered the Jews if the situation was reversed.

There can be ways to safeguard both Israel's security and Palestine's integrity in its eastern border with Jordan, without a deployment of massive IDF personnel in the Jordan Valley, and without occupying a swath of land in the relatively fertile, low valley, Palestine will need for its water and bridges to Jordan. There can be military sensors that can serve both countries. There can be tri-national stations operated by Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian operatives. There can be a station like Har Dov on Israel's south-eastern border with both Palestine and Jordan, and its north-eastern most border with the West Bank in the south. Compared to Jerusalem, this must be an important but easier thing to solve.

A Palestinian state alone the lines of Israeli "no preconditions" will likely call for a redefining the term sovereignty .. it appears Israel is after occupation, just with a different label..

"even after a withdrawal from Palestinian territory, he would insist on maintaining an Israeli military presence along the Jordan Valley" How wonderfully hasbarah: a "withdrawal" where you don't actually, you know, "withdraw".....

good

Watch Mahmood Abbas Agree! Abbas is the worst thing that happened to the palestinians in a very long time!

Let US forces leave iraq and israel and the US can build a super base along the spine of the Jordan valley or even in the negev for that matter where the US can maintain its necessary "presence" in the middle east. Anyone object to that? It's israeli territory in the negev so I doubt anyone could say much negative about it. what do you think fellas? (oy, I cant wait for the comments! all you jew haters who for this would mean that the arabs larger and longer goal of destroying israel will never be realized...think of Irans reaction! oooh, how delightful!)

I think he has more to fear from hilltop youths, anarchist rabbis, and other habitual civil disobedients coming home over the green line.

Just be honest, peace is not a priority. Under the "security" BS, we could delay the process for ever - till the 2 state solution is imposible, then who is the loser?

Must remain in Israel's hands as a far reaching strategic policy.We should never compromise our security needs.Not for paper agreements (See recent history,leading to WW2) nor to prpmises,(See the failure of the world powers re.the blockade of Israeli ships through the Red Sea & Suez canal,prior to the 6-Day-War)

PA would need major arm to defend border which Israel would be against but PA would be against Israel control of valley. Only good option is joint troops possible under US control or observation for a few years atleast.

The Pals today would have most of the West Bank free of settlements had they accepted Yigal Alon's post 6 Day War proposal to allow the IDF defensive positions in the Jordan Valley. Now Israel would never give up the Jordan Valley and the Ghandi road linking Tiberias and Jerusalem.

If Palestine can not have the means to defend itself, is forced to allow the IDF on its border with Jordon, and is not allowed to control its own imports and exports, then this is a one state solution. If Israel wants a one state solution, I am fine with that, but give the Pals equal rights, including the right to vote, the right to build homes, the right to land that they own, freedom from harrasment from racist government forces, etc.

By removing the Iraqi police, the Iraqi army and all Baath leaders from Iraqi government they rendered Iraq dismantled thus strengthening Iran in the region and threatening Israel even more than Iraq had. Once the US leaves, the faster the better it will take it's natural course and Israel will need to prepared to defend itself for the pro-Shiite, pro-Iranian forces that will fill the void in Iraq and elsewhere.

"The Jordan Valley and the territories that dominate it shall be under Israeli sovereignty." - Likud Election Platform 2009 Only recently did Netanyahu repeat this fantasy. Right here the Palestinians lose some 15-20% of the West Bank while the Clinton parameters considered 5-6% loss, of which about half should be returned in the form of Israeli territory. Netanyahu will be laughed out of the peace process with such a map. The laugh will be even louder because this thinking is so outdated. The Jordan Valley was viewed by Israel as protection against Iraqi tanks, but Saddam is dead, Iraq has no tanks, and the IAF can put an end to an Iraqi invasion force. The US freed Israel of the Saddam worry at immense cost, but Likud refuses to consider this as real.