Netanyahu hints at new unilateral moves in West Bank

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that he could pursue unilateral moves in the West Bank in the absence of a peace process with the Palestinians, the Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday.

He spoke in advance of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s expected trip to Israel next week, during which the two men will meet for the second time since earlier this month, when they spoke for three hours in Washington.

The prime minister is under pressure from the United States to come up with a plan to preserve the option of a two-state solution in the absence of a renewed peace process. The US also is looking to him to take steps to ease life for Palestinians in the West Bank.

At the Fourth Annual Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Netanyahu said “I prefer bilateral. I prefer negotiated moves. But in the aspects of security and the economy there is room for it. Politically, I think it is more complicated than that and not desirable.”

"There all sorts of unilateral moves in all sorts of directions… And they are not necessarily in the direction you think,” Netanyahu said.

It’s the second time this month Netanyahu has made statements about unilateralism.

He came under fire for comments he made about possible one-sided moves during a public interview at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC.

Netanyahu said “Unilateralism works less well than a negotiated solution. The main problem that we have is the acceptance of the principle that Israel will take care of security in the areas west of the Jordan.”

He later returned to the idea when he said, “Unilateralism, I suppose that is possible, but it would have to meet Israeli security criteria. It would require a broader international understanding than exists now.”

On Wednesday, the prime minister spoke of the frustration of not being able to negotiate with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, despite repeated offers to sit down and talk with him.

Netanyahu said that, since he took office in 2009, the two have spoken for less than seven hours.

“It used to be that we were accused of the lack of diplomatic progress. I think that people are waking up to the fact that he will not negotiate,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister explained that he would start talks without preconditions, but that he would not conclude them without securing Palestinian acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state.

Source: MENA