Rhetoric from page 34
and U.S. concerns that he would
follow up the application with uni-
lateral actions. Israel and the United
States have emphatically opposed the
Palestinians' statehood recognition
bid at the U.N.
But if Abbas' bottom line was
aimed at pushing back against
charges that he was acting unilater-
ally, his rhetoric was bound to raise
hackles — and seemingly did, given
the walkouts by at least two members
of the Israeli delegations, Cabinet
ministers Avigdor Lieberman and Yuli
Edelstein, and the refusal to applaud
by Susan Rice, the U.S. envoy.
After the speech, Rice tweeted:
"When the speeches end today, we
must all recognize that the only way
to create a state is through direct
negotiations. No shortcuts."
Abbas also invoked, to vigorous
applause, his predecessor Yasser
Arafat's 1974 appearance before the
same body. He cited Arafat's raising of
an olive branch on that occasion, say-
ing it was still held out — but did not
mention the gun holster Arafat wore,
against U.N. regulations and at his
insistence. That pistol disgusted the
United States and Israel at the time,
and for years helped define Arafat in
the West not as a man of peace, but as a
blood-seeking grandstander.
Netanyahu called on Mahmoud
Abbas to launch talks immediately
in New York and said he was ready to
move ahead" with U.S.-backed param-
eters.
"I extend my hand, the hand of Israel
in peace — I hope you will grasp that:'
Netanyahu said. "If we genuinely want
peace, let us meet in this building."
Abbas had reiterated in his speech
his precondition that Israel freeze all
settlement building.
It was the first time Netanyahu pub-
licly suggested that he was ready to
negotiate on the basis of parameters
President Obama laid out in a speech
in May; at the time, Netanyahu had
objected vigorously to Obama's call for
negotiations based in 1967 lines, with
mutually agreed land swaps.
"There were things in the ideas"
Obama proposed "about borders that
I didn't like, there were things about
the Jewish state that I'm sure the
Palestinians didn't like," Netanyahu
said. "For all my reservations, I was
willing to move ahead."
Netanyahu reportedly has in recent
weeks privately told American inter-
locutors he is willing to work with
Obama's parameters.
((
Telling The Truth On
The TV News Shows
Herb Keinon
Jersualem Post
I
f people around the world were too
busy Friday to tune in live to Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech
before the United Nations General Assemby
and missed his articulation of what he said
was Israel's "truth," then all they had to do was
tune in to any number of television interview
shows over the weekend — from ABC, CNN,
NBC, Fox News and even BBC's Arabic service
— and get a concise summation.
"The truth," Netanyahu had said at the U.N.,
"is that Israel wants peace ... The truth is that
so far the Palestinians have refused to negoti-
ate. The truth is that Israel wants peace with a
Palestinian state, but the Palestinians want a
state without peace." He repeated this theme
on each of the news shows.
Also, each TV interviewer attacked the
question about U.S. politics: How much of a
friend is Obama; is he better or worse than
former U.S. president George W. Bush; and
what does Netanyahu think about Republican
presidential candidates Rick Perry and Mitt
Romney slamming Obama for his positions
on Israel?
Netanyahu's diplomatic reply? "I'm just not
going to walk into the minefield of American
politics. I've got enough politics back at home,'
he told ABC.
The prime minister was also asked repeat-
edly about former president Bill Clinton's
recent criticism that Netanyahu is to blame
for the failure of a Middle East peace process
because his government won't accept the
terms for peace offered by Ehud Barak in 2000.
And in each of the interviews, Netanyahu's
response was the same: "I regretfully, regret-
fully and respectfully disagree with the former
President Clinton:'
None of the interviews provided much
news, though there were a few interesting
tidbits, such as his saying on CNN — after
being repeatedly pressed on the issue — that
he would "be willing to talk about" another
settlement freeze.
Netanyahu also raised an idea in that inter-
view that has not been heard often in the past:
That had he wanted to, he, like Abbas, could
place conditions on a return to the talks.
One precondition, he said, could be to "dis-
mantle some of the refugee camps — just one
— to know that you're serious about peace,
because you know that there won't be peace if
they don't rehabilitate the refugees."
Netanyahu said he didn't do this because he
doesn't believe in preconditions.
Iranian President Ahmadinejad
addresses the U.N., page 36.
Hate Fest from page 34
-
controversial head
Shame on the UN An anti-Durban poster
of the conference,
depicting the confer-
Durban 3-Ring ence as a three-ring
Durban-born Navi
Pillay, ended up, wit-
circus with Iranian
tingly or unwittingly,
dictator Ahmadinejad
trafficking in rac-
dressed as a clown.
Coming Soon
ism, xenophobia and
hatred of Jews.
ued isolation of Israel
The Jerusalem-
in international are-
based group NGO
nas, such as the U.N.
Monitor argues,
Human Rights Council
"More important
and the International
than Durban III is
Criminal Court:'
the Durban Strategy,
Durban, following
which political advo-
NGO Monitor's line of
cacy NGOs continue
reasoning, spawned
to lead. The strategy
anti-Israel activities
is defined by tactics
across other forums,
of demonization and delegitimization and in a post-Durban I, II and III
that in no way promote coexistence
conference world, the fight to combat
and a two-state solution.
hatred of Israel will revolve around
"Instead, the Durban Strategy results blunting boycott, sanctions and divest-
in boycott, divestment and sanctions
ment tactics against the Jewish state.
campaigns [BDS], the Flotilla incident,
Though the major E.U. democ-
`apartheid' rhetoric, and the like. All
racies and Australia, the United
of this is in keeping with the general
States, New Zealand and Canada
Durban message: Instead of creating
boycotted Durban, Human Rights
something positive for the Palestinian
Commissioner Pillay might very well
people, the aim is wholly negative
use the U.N.'s valuable, and limited,
about punishing Israel:"
resources to mount a Durban IV con-
It added: "While Durban III has
ference. fl
come and gone, 'mini-Durban' confer-
Local Jews protest U.N. actions, page 22.
ences continue, along with the contin-
Circus
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