Netanyahu to Abbas: The time has come for peace

To Petra #29 Muslims lost it all and will lose more!!! Lose what exactly? their lives? Well being? Peace of mind? Land? Dignity? Respect?......!! Get a grip. The two faced attitude of Israel is met with the two faced attitude of Hamas and Fatah.. Never a people succeeded in leading a different people in human history. The solution will be when there is nothing to fight for or no one to fight it. Until then, put up or shut up.

this man is a snake

Petra, under Arafat, the PLO, which is the umbrella body for all the Pal groups, already recognized Israel years ago. The Arab League has said it will do so if Israel withdraws to the Green Line (or thereabouts one assumes). Even Hamas has said that it will accept the Final Status Agreement if the Pals approve it in a referendum. Whether or not it recognises Israel is hardly important, unless of course it wins the elections next year. What you really mean I guess is "recognise Israel AS A JEWISH STATE". That's a different matter, it has racial connotations and sets the legal scene for two classes of citizens, I doubt there will be any takers for that particular kite outside Israeli circles. I certainly wouldn't agree to it if I were an Arab and I'm sure that, on reflection, you wouldn't either.

Peace will never come when the charter of Hamas & Fatah is the destruction of Israel.( and Iran, the Saudi's and countless other loons from the 'muslim camp'.) There is a sort of peace now as Israel has managed to keep terrorists out of Israel. The war is between both Hamas and Fatah, neither of whom will know peace in their lifetimes. They refuse to recognize Israel and thereby are silent bystanders to their own monumental ignorance while Israel grows stronger each day. Get a grip! The Muslims lost it all, and if possible, will lose even more.

I believe,the US is sincerely interested in peace in our region.Peace in the Middle East would serve us and the US national interest, so that the focus can shift from conflict, to trade, reduced threat of terror,energy and development. The US role has been to mediate and make pointed suggestions" as settlement freeze, changing charters and recognitions etc. They are anxious to appear even handed. They have the toughest job to do. All our hopes hang on the US. The US has to also to balance its needs in the Arab world and its special relationship with Israel. They don't want to lose the confidence of either party. Clearly they are after serving the US national interest, but it happened to be synonymous with the interests of both sides in the dispute. There are few exceptions, of course, when the US interests are different from those of either party. Because the US is an outsider to the dispute, almost so, it has the ability to think outside the box

Yes, the time has come for peace. Indeed, it came some time ago. So, if this is the time to talk real business then why not suspend settlement activity until the peace process concludes? If it concludes successfully, Israel will have defined borders and will be able to build anywhere within those borders. Moreover, the situation in settlements outside the borders will be clarifed. If the negotiations fail then we are back to square one and inching along to the one-state solution. So until there is a palestinian majority settlement activity will march on. Surely the dear settlers can forgo more building for a few months.

granted all you say about bibi and bibi's rule (merely a continuation of previous ones)-what is the role played by the U.S. in this?is it a purely israeli endeavour?what motivates the U.S. to play the part it does,if any? any reply appreciated and acknowledged.

To be taken seriously the PM needs to show movement on the ground to match his recycled rhetoric and hollow promises of peace. Thus far we have heard only minced words.

If this is sincere then I applaud Netanyahu. This conflict is stale and growing mold. It ought to be an embarrassment to any politician in the region and if this effort fails it should be cause for an election.

obviously, the pa wants to make peace with the u.s. no one knew that the pa and the u.s. were enemies, compatitors, rivals, rather than parties having a decent relationship.

The answer is simple. NEVER. Bibi Netanyahu is a man who has never uttered the word peace without it being a lie. As Prime Minister he lied to Bill Clinton, and he lied as Foreign Minister to George Bush. He lied to Ehud Barak about peace to get the ever ambitious Barak to sell out his party. He lied to Barak Obama. Now, after all of the lies, who can believe Benjamin Netanyahu? Only an idiot, moron or fool.

because you almost know, unless he's experienced some sort of earthshaking revelation, netanyahu doesn't believe in a word he's said. but ahhhh...the facade is oh so pretty. abbas needs to grasp it tightly and bring it down to reveal what's behind it. transparent negotiations? oh yes!

How many more sides of his mouth can netanyahu speak out from?? Last week from the other side it was no peas talks as long as the terror support for gobstones retort is on the table. Already he shows how weak he is. When will ISRAEL be lead by someone with character, class & is a noble person??

in a bantustan? totally under IDF control on l borders? No access to the sea, to Jordan, Egypt, drinking water, disarmed, with settlers building new settlements every day.....? What a hypocrite!!! well, what to expect from a fascist?

Abbas is finished

Hey Bibi, why don't you be brave and face down your extremist settlers and end their illegal settlement construction "once and for all"???

We must discuss peace as soon as possible and I am ready! .....never? ever? A freudian slip? Telling the truth to a crowd? Double speak and double think must be confusing everyone over there. Or was Bibi just over tired?....PEACE EVER?

Peace to Israel means submission to its will: Israel will return no territories, evacuate no settlements, allow no Palestinian refugees to return, and negotiate nothing except the incidental details of its dominance. Netanyahu has spent many long months doing everything in his power to subvert Obama's peace initiatives, defying the demand to freeze settlements and inciting American and Israeli public opinion against the President and against peace. Where Obama rallied near-universal international support for his vision of rapid progress towards a real two state solution and genuine Israeli-Arab peace, Netanyahu dug in his heels and fought every step of the way. The world notices. Isolate, divest, sanction, and cut their aid.

Here is a man who steadfastly refuses to say what he believes should eb the borders of his country. All the while, colonising additional p-arts of territory he has not said is part of Israel. Here is a man who does not want the people who already live on the land he is colonising. Here is a man who demands to control the borders and airspace of the left over land that will be his neighbour. He is now ready to try to talk peace. Without defining the borders. Without allowing his neighbour self determination. Without agreeing to give back land already colonised. What a lot of arrogant, press spinning lies. (I know when Bibi is lying. It is when his lips are moving) The world court (Goldstone report)is approaching. Obama is approaching. Russia and China have had enough with Bibi. The rest of teh world has seen through teh killing and land theft. No wonder Bibi wants to talk. Maybe to escape from a UN prison.

......to freeze settlements or talk about them

No preconditions, but your refugees will not return or get compensation, we do not take any responsibility for them and we will have all of Jerusalem and the west bank settlements.

Acts Mr. Netanyahu, not words, are the only thing most will believe.

Netanyahu is quite practiced at telling the world all the good things they want to hear but he does not really believe. Indeed who does not want peace? But it will come only on Bibi's terms if he has anything to do with it. Forget creating a negotiating partner. This is a one-sided affair that treats Palestinians as the little kids and the Israelis as the parents calling the shots. And how will Bibi the rightwing demagogue renege on the Jewish settlements in the Palestinian Authority? He is beholden to this thorn in the peace process. The early success of the Oslo Accords were based upon private trust building sessions between two groups of negotiators. The Israelis and Palestinians need to get reacquainted with the other through negotiations somewhere in Europe. Only Obama can push this agenda.

Perhaps tactically Bibi needs to speak in two voices: one for Lieberman and the 'holy' coalition, and the other for the real world ... Let's hope that the real world prevails...

and not just making a chess move. His actions to date don't lend credibility to what he is saying. OK Bibi, let go for peace, real peace. Don't lay down conditions that only a fool would agree to.

"The time has come to end this conflict; tell them that the time has come for two nations to live side-by-side in peace and security." :-):-) :-) Well, it was a gala event. It is customary to enliven such events with jokes to help with the digestion of the Gala meal.Except that this joke is stale - it has been told too many times. David

Long ago Arafat extended his hand for peace ,but he was assassined.Arafat years ago called for braves'peace, but he was speaking to deaf ears. 85% of the Palestinians agreed with him but what was the result? He and the peace were poisoned ,so who would trust this call for peace now ,Arafat was true and sinsere in his policy for two states for two nations live side by side seeking prosperous and security.OK,the world will see hoping that this new Israeli orientation is honest and trustfull and not a new manipulative.

Jeruselem, the Jordan Valley or removal of any settlements--but hey--Obama made us offer.

You're not getting out of Goldstone that easily mate! Your offer reeks diversion!

... because that is what it will take to bring the Palestinians into a serious peace process. Anything less is just window dressing.

is just saying the words for show it is a start...offer to freeze the settlements and the international community will be convinced....otherwise peace talk is empty and we all know it

Hypocrisy at its finest.

Anyway, as Israel's credibility currently stands, words alone don't count any longer.