Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu told the US Congress Tuesday he would uproot settlements in a "generous" peace deal with Palestinians, but ruled out international demands to return to the 1967 borders or share Jerusalem.
In what had been hailed as a landmark speech, the Israeli leader broke no substantial new ground in his positions and rejected key calls from US President Barack Obama and the international community, who have been looking for ways to revive the comatose peace process with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu also ruled out any return to talks as long as the unity deal between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and the Islamist Hamas continues, while saying the real stumbling block to peace was the refusal of the Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state. "In any peace agreement that ends the conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel's borders," Netanyahu said in a rare speech to a joint meeting of Congress, saying he had to be "honest" with the Israeli public.
"We will be very generous on the size of a future Palestinian state," he said in a speech frequently punctuated by warm applause and several standing ovations from the US lawmakers. But Netanyahu again ruled out any return to the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East War or dividing the holy city of Jerusalem. The Palestinians demand east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
"Jerusalem must never again be divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel," Netanyahu said. The issue of accepting the 1967 borders basis as a starting point for negotiations has been at the core of an ongoing row between Netanyahu and Obama. Obama last week gave public voice to the long-held view of the US and the international community that a Palestinian state should be created based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Six Day War.
Such a state would include the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and mostly Arab but Israel-annexed east Jerusalem, with some adjustments and land swaps so that Israel can maintain settlement blocs. On Tuesday Netanyahu again rejected these calls, saying Israel would not give up its main settlement blocs or compromise on the issue of Palestinian refugees. "The border will be different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible lines of 1967," he said.
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