Israel Matzav

Written by 'junior level officials at the National Security Council'?

Remember that statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu on Tuesday that sounded like it came from Meretz's Zehava Gal-On? Well, Netanyahu is now claiming that he never read the statement and that it was written by 'junior level officials at the National Security Council.' What happened to 'the buck stops here' Bibi?

This is from the second link.

The prime minister reportedly took issue with a part of the communique that referred to unilateral steps by both sides serving as obstacles to a peace agreement.

"Unilateral steps by either party are counterproductive to achieving a sustainable lasting peace," reads the statement. "We welcome the U.S. government’s efforts in this regard, particularly those of the U.S. Secretary of State [John Kerry]."

Both Netanyahu and his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, were to sign the document but no specific time was ever set for that action. Nevertheless, the Israeli prime minister’s perceived aboutface has raised the spectre of a diplomatic faux pas in international circles.

Moreover, it has also opened the door to criticism from opposition within Israel’s government. Meretz party chairwoman Zehava Gal-On immediately issued a statement attacking the prime minister, saying, "Netanyahu’s disavowal of the content of the joint statement with the Polish prime minister only serves to expose the true face of the prime minister who continues to mislead the public and prove once again that he has no intention of making peace."

I don't think anyone knows for certain which of the Prime Minister's two faces is the true one. But here's a hint: He apparently did not have a problem with the part of the statement that said

One may never question the right of the 'Palestinians' to a state.

JPost adds:

Netanyahu’s office released a preliminary copy of the main points in advance of the trip, but a source told Channel 10 that the bureau erred in releasing the contents of the statement to the press.

...

In November, Poland was one of 41 UN member states that abstained from the General Assembly vote to upgrade the Palestinian status to that of UN non-member state.

As part of the original joint statement on Middle East issues, Poland and Israel agreed that the latter’s legitimacy, the security of its citizens, and the Palestinian right to a state should never be in doubt.

 Stop ducking responsibility, Bibi. Be a man and take credit for your mistakes.

Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Middle East peace process, Palestinian state, Poland, two-state solution

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:37 PM