Netanyahu Bows to Obama, Accepts Palestinian "State."

[elleng]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday to uncommon pressure from Washington by finally giving his endorsement -- with conditions -- to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

But in a speech answering President Barack Obama's address to the Arab world 10 days ago, the right-wing leader's defense of Jewish settlement on occupied land may fail to dispel tension with the White House, as the two men try to set new terms for the Middle East peace process in their first months in office.

Obama called Netanyahu's shift in position on Palestinian statehood as an "important step forward," even as aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were denouncing the speech as "sabotaging" negotiations by restating Israel's refusal to share the city of Jerusalem or accept Palestinian refugees.

http://nytimes.com/reuters/2009/06/14/news/news-us-palestinians-israel-netanyahu.html

[vaberella]

1. Well I'll take this as some good news. n/t

[moobu2]

3. He’s playing games

He knows his demands can never be met. It would be like the Palestinians saying they would agree to a peace settlement if Israel disarmed and turned over half its territory…it‘s never going to happen..It isnt good at all.

[elleng]

4. I tend to agree.

but I'm not a politician or diplomat.

'Netanyahu, who has refused to back a state for Palestinians since he took office in March, said he would now endorse the establishment of a such a state -- but only if Israel received in advance international guarantees the new nation would have no army and Palestinians recognized Israel as a Jewish state.

"If we receive this guarantee regarding demilitarization and Israel's security needs, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, then we will be ready in a future peace agreement to reach a solution where a demilitarized Palestinian state exists alongside the Jewish state," Netanyahu said at Bar Ilan University near Tel Aviv.'

[rpannier]

5. He said he will only accept it if the Palestinians acknowledge the state of Israel as a Jewish State

and he hinted rather strongly that Arab-Muslims were unwelcome

[DCKit]

6. I thought they'd already done that once or twice.

Israel is a lousy dance partner.

[NYC_SKP]

2. If it lasts, this is pretty remarkable.

I'm guardedly optimistic that they are sincere and this will more forward.