Obama: Netanyahu’s Palestine stance erodes Israel’s credibility
The international community does not believe that Israel is serious about a two state solution, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has placed so many conditions to its establishment that it is unrealistic to think it could come into existence in the near future, US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday.
Obama, in an interview with Channel 2 ‘Uvda’, said that Netanyahu was “fairly unequivocal” in his statement the day before the election that a Palestinian state would not emerge on his watch. Since then, Obama said, Netanyahu has made comments indicating that there is a possibility of a Palestinian state, but added so many caveats that it is not realistic anyone would agree to those conditions.
The prime minister has reiterated in recent days that any Palestinian state would have to recognize Israel as the Jewish national homeland, and that under any agreement there would need to be an Israeli security presence throughout the West Bank.