Israel rejects total pullback to 1967 borders

Friday May 20, 2011 10:41:46 AM, Reuters

Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu headed for talks in Washington on Friday saying that US President Barack Obama’s vision of a Palestinian state on the borders of 1967 could leave Israel “indefensible.”

“The viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of Israel’s existence,” he said in a statement before flying to the United States for scheduled talks with Obama.

Responding to a major Obama speech on Thursday outlining Middle East strategy, Netanyahu said he expected Washington to let Israel keep major settlement blocs beyond the 1967 lines in the occupied West Bank, under any peace deal with Palestinians.

Israeli officials seemed taken aback by the language in Obama’s speech. Asked if Netnayahu had been forewarned by Washington, one said: “No comment.” But some Israeli reporters accompanying the prime minister predicted a stormy meeting.

Setting out the principles of a Middle East peace accord, Obama reaffirmed the US commitment to Israel’s security.

He called for a deal resulting in two states, Israel and Palestine, sharing the border that existed before Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war.

It would include “mutually agreed land swaps,” he said. In a pointed reply, Netanyahu said he expected “to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of US commitments made to Israel in 2004” — an allusion to a letter by then-President George W. Bush suggesting the Jewish state may keep big settlement blocs as part of any peace pact.

“Those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines,” Netanyahu added. Such a border, Netanyahu said, would be “indefensible.”
 

                                           Home | Top of the Page

Top Stories

Cabinet nod to simultaneous caste, religion, poverty census

The government Thursday approved a proposal to conduct a survey based on caste, religion and economic conditions that will help in identifying people living below and above  »

Poverty, caste census will be almost paperless

'Save your citizenship through Census 2011'

  Most Read

Shariff receives flak for his comments on AUDF, IUML electoral success

Abusaleh Shariff, one of the members of the Sachar Committee, is receiving flak and criticism from the community and party leaders for his reported comments to a national media on the electoral   »

India's Most Wanted list goof-up: Another man found in Mumbai

A man named in a list of Most Wanted criminals given to Pakistan, has been found to be in Mumbai's fortified Arthur Road Central Jail and facing trial in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial  »

CBI official suspended, two shunted out for terror list error

  News Pick

43-member Mamata ministry to be sworn-in Friday

With the Congress deciding to join the new West Bengal ministry, Mamata Banerjee will be sworn-in Friday as the head of a 43-member ministerial team that  »

This summer, Kashmir to fight murderers of another kind

Newspaper advertisements, TV messages, raids on ultrasound clinics, door-to-door campaigns -- shamed by the dismal sex ratio revealed by the latest census report, the Jammu and Kashmir government  »

Woman only nine percent of newly-elected legislators in five states

The recent assembly elections in five states in India did give the country two more women chief ministers but the gross representation of women in these assemblies is a dismal nine percent. According  »

JPC asks CAG to explain how 2G loss is Rs.1.76 lakh crore

The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum licences Thursday decided to call  »

JPC examining NDA's 1999 telecom policy, summons Sorabjee

Malegaon youth on hunger strike since May 16 against police atrocities

A local youth in Malegaon is sitting on hunger strike since May 16 against what he called as the police prejudice and seeking justice   »

Picture of the Day

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov witnessing the signing of agreements between two countries, in New Delhi on May 18, 2011.

(Photo: BM Meena)