“No halt to settlements, no right to return and a demilitarized Palestinian state that’s how Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views the future of the Middle East. But not only is it at odds with the Palestinians, it’s increasingly at odds with the vision outlined by U.S. President Barack Obama.”
Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech Sunday - we’re looking at media perspectives coming out of the Middle East - particularly the probability of a two-state solution and ensuing peace.
Jerusalem Post and Israel Today both have the perspective that Netanyahu’s speech was overall a quote “home run”.
“Netanyahu’s approval rating stood at a dismal 28 percent a month ago following controversial budget debates in the cabinet. But Sunday’s speech boosted him to a comfortable (by Israeli standards) 44 percent approval rating.”
Al Jazeera English calls Netanyahu’s speech a quote “call and response” to U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech on the Middle East in Cairo 11 days earlier. Obama called on Israel to halt all settlements and restart peace talks.
“Rarely have the Israelis been so worried and so anxious as they are today…Netanyahu is very much on the defensive and what he has done is outline as any good negotiator would his maximalist position, he’s put in all the conditions possible, I did find at least six major conditions in his speech.”
It’s these conditions that have the Palestinians saying Netanyahu’s quote “sabotaged any hope of an agreement”. BBC World has their perspective…
“He is not interested in a two state solution, he is not going to stop settlements in [inaud] so we have a peace process that was moving like a turtle in the region, now Netanyahu tonight flipped the turtle on its back.”
Israeli newspaper Haaretz backs that up in an editorial headed,
“Netanyahu’s message is there will be no peace”.
The article begins:
it was “the speech of our lives. Our bogged-down, hopeless lives.”
“…this speech contained no tangible step toward a real change of consciousness. Netanyahu did not speak 'honestly and courageously' … He did not look the settlers in the eye and tell them what he knows full well: that the map of the settlements contradicts the map of peace.”
Palestinian-run Ma'an News Agency has the perspective that Obama has courageously confronted Netanyahu on the issue of settlements. Maan writes settlement building in the West Bank is only possible because of under the table agreements or what they call a culture of “winking”.
“…it seems that in Afro-American culture the wink is unknown. When Netanyahu came to the White House and winked – Barack Obama did not respond. [He] Winked and winked and winked until his face ached – nothing. Obama thought, perhaps, that Netanyahu had a nervous tic.”
France 24 analyzes the worldwide response to Netanyahu’s speech – highlighting one contradiction in particular…
“…Many feel it is indispensible to deal with question of the colonies before envisaging the coexistence of the two states. A thorny question as illustrated by the video broadcast by a net user in which we see Israelis and Palestinians fighting over the right to grow crops in a field.”
Hamas leader Isma’il Haniyeh noted in a press conference this week Hamas will accept a two state solution if Israel agrees to return to 1967 borders– adding Jerusalem would have to be the Palestinian capital.
Copy the code and paste it to your blog or website:
