Netanyahu: As long as we stay in West Bank we're unbeatable
'Automatic assumption of withdrawal to 1967 borders is unjustified, immoral and very dangerous for the State of Israel,' opposition leader tells conference marking Six Day War's 40th anniversary
Speaking at a conference held in the capital by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) to mark the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War, Netanyahu said that "the Six Day War was a turning point in which we turned from a fetal and fragile country whose existence was questionable, into a state which cannot be defeated."
The conference was dedicated to United Nations Resolution 242, which was adopted five months after the war and outlined guidelines for a peaceful solution in the Middle East.
"This possibility was on the agenda. The fact that we were unbeatable made us move from war to peace. It was a necessary condition in causing parts of the Arab world to recognize the State of Israel and its right to exist. Today the peace process is in retreat following the unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon, the pullout from Gaza and the Second Lebanon War," Netanyahu said.
"Today not only our enemies, but also our friends, question the fact that we are unbeatable. This moves us away from peace and brings us closer to war. The Six Day War was aimed at removing the question mark over our existence and paving the road to peace.
"All those who lament the terrible thing that happened to us during the Six Day War are wrong, because something wonderful happened to us. Our weakness today is that we are not claiming our rights. If we fail to fight for our rights, they will disappear.
"This is the weakness of our policy. If the voters decide that I must return to lead the country, I do not plan to control the Palestinians and annex them to Israel. On the contrary, they should be independent. Today they are also controlled by their own people.
"I do not see a possibility of returning to control the Palestinians through the military. This is not on the agenda. The argument today is not about the populated territories, but about the empty territories. The argument is about parts of our homeland, which are also the foundations of our defense."
'We must set defendable borders'
The opposition leader noted that "the automatic assumption of withdrawing to the 1967 borders is unjustified, immoral and very dangerous to the State of Israel. We must set defendable borders which do not include an additional Arab population. I plan to try and reach such an agreement, which will be supported by Egypt and Jordan.
"We must change the Oslo Accords. The main flaw of the Oslo Accords is that Israel is required to make more and more concessions, while the Palestinians continue to demand their right of return. We must find a partner for peace and take the right of return off the agenda. Cancelling the right of return is a precondition for concessions. At the moment we have no partner, because those standing in front of us declare that they want to destroy us.
"If we reach an agreement with a partner which is not a partner and reach an agreement with Hamas, we will not achieve peace but will only be giving Iran an advantage, like what happened in the withdrawal from Lebanon and the disengagement. Our main effort should be directed at preventing Iran from arming itself."
In response to a question from the audience, Netanyahu said that Israel must not leave the Golan Heights. "If we leave the Golan Heights we will get a piece of paper but not a defendable border, and therefore we must remain on the Golan Heights."
