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'No excuses.' Abbas (L) and Bibi
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Netanyahu: I seek historic compromise

PM stresses commitment to peace in Washington, says he wants to find solutions, not make excuses

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he arrived at the Washington peace summit in order to seek a historic compromise with the Palestinians.

 

Speaking at a joint press conference, with President Barack Obama and Arab leaders at his side, the PM said: "I came here today to find a historic compromise that will enable both of our peoples to live in peace, security, and dignity."

 

However, Netanyahu stressed that he was seeking lasting peace that will "last for generations," rather than a "brief interlude between wars."


Peace effort underway (Photo: Reuters)

 

"This is the peace my people fervently want; this is the peace they deserve," he said.

 

"A lasting peace is a peace between peoples; between Israelis and Palestinians," the PM said. "We must learn to live together, live next to one and another, and with one another."

 

He added that he did not come to Washington to "play the blame game," stressing that "everybody loses if there's no peace."

 

"I didn't come here to find excuses or to make them. I came here to find solutions," he said.

 

'This is not easy'

Speaking after Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also reiterated his commitment to peace, saying the time has come to "end the occupation that started in 1967."

 

"It is time for a Palestinian state to be established…alongside Israel," he said.

 

The Palestinian leader also condemned Wednesday's terror attack in the West Bank, saying "we do not want any blood to be shed."

 

"We want people in the two countries to lead normal lives," he said.

 

President Obama thanked both leaders for being in Washington, saying their presence at the talks should be commended.

 

"This is not easy," the president said.

 

Obama: Netanyahu, Abbas want peace

Speaking earlier in the evening, President Obama expressed his faith in both Netanyahu and Abbas, saying they are "two leaders who I believe want peace."

 

"This moment of opportunity may not soon come again," the president said. "They cannot afford to let it slip away.

 

"The hard work is only beginning," he added, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and special Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell at his side. "Neither success nor failure is inevitable. But this much we know: If we do not make the attempt, then failure is guaranteed. If both sides do not commit to these talks in earnest, then long-standing conflict will only continue to fester and consume another generation, and this we simply cannot allow."

 

The remarks were made about an hour and a half before a joint appearance of all of the summit's participants – Obama, Netanyahu, Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah, at the White House's eastern wing.

 

"There are going to be extremists and rejectionists

who, rather than seeking peace, are going to be seeking destruction," Obama said. "The United States is going to be unwavering in its support of Israel's security. And we are going to push back against these kinds of terrorist attacks. And so the message should go out to Hamas and everyone else who is taking credit for these heinous crimes that this is not going to stop us."

 

'We are under no illusions'

In his Rose Garden remarks, Obama noted that many are skeptical, a view underlined by two days of Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the disputed West Bank.

 

"We are under no illusions," he said. "Passions run deep. Years of mistrust will not disappear overnight."

 

The American president held separate meetings with both sides' leaders on Wednesday. During his meeting with Netanyahu, he expressed his condolences to the families of the four Israelis killed in a West Bank shooting attack Tuesday evening.

 

Placing his hand on Netanyahu's shoulder, Obama referred to the attack as "senseless slaughter" that would not stop the US from seeking peace in the Middle East.

 

Attila Somfalvi and AP contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 09.02.10, 02:10
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