Knesset Member: Netanyahu Ready For Agreement With Palestinians
Israeli Knesset member Tzachi Hanegbi claims that Israel is ready for concessions with the Palestinians, enabling the government to deal with its real threat, Iran.
''Do you think that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crossed the Rubicon?” That was the question I asked Knesset member [and former Minister of Justice, Minister of Internal Security and Minister of Intelligence and Nuclear Affairs] Tzachi Hanegbi. It is a question that political and diplomatic commentators alike have been trying to crack ever since the renewal of negotiations with the Palestinians was announced. “If he believes that the Palestinians have gone the necessary distance on such issues as security, Jerusalem, the settlement blocs and refugees and have reached their own red lines, Netanyahu will be prepared to take huge steps in their direction,” Hanegbi responded.
While he offered no solution to the original conundrum, he did provide an original distinction instead of the conventional wisdom within the political system, and particularly on the right, which contends that Netanyahu is not interested in reaching an agreement and simply wants to win himself some more time when dealing with the Americans. In contrast, Hanegbi thinks that the prime minister is ready to make concessions that will lead to an agreement ending the conflict. He also believes that if Netanyahu is persistent, the extremists in the Likud Party will not be able to undermine that agreement.
