BBC News | World | Netanyahu sets his terms with Palestinians

BBC News Online: World

Netanyahu sets his terms with Palestinians

Saturday, November 29, 1997 Published at 04:16 GMT

image: [ Netanyahu; Will ask his cabinet on Sunday to accept the deal ]

Netanyahu sets his terms with Palestinians
The Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has offered Palestinians more West Bank land within five months, provided they fight what he calls "terrorism" and enter into accelerated talks on a final peace process.

But if Yasser Arafat goes ahead with plans to proclaim an independent state in 18 months, Mr Netanyau hinted that he would take a harder line.

"Any such unilateral act by the Palestinians would prompt unilateral actions by Israel on both the territorial and operational levels," the Prime Minister said.

His comments provoked criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.

[ image: width=154]

Posters depicting the Israeli leader in Arab head-dress under the slogan "The Liar" appeared in Jerusalem on Thursday, recalling a hate campaign that preceded the 1995 killing of Yitzhak Rabin.

Mr Netanyahu is trying to convince hardliners in his cabinet to accept a one-time, limited further troop withdrawal from the West Bank.

This would eventually increase the percentage of the territory under Palestinian control from less than 3% currently to as much as 37%.

The Oslo interim peace accords require Israel to carry out three further redeployments.

In return Mr Netanyahu wants the Palestinians to accept an immediate move to final status negotiations.

"I have proposed that all these redeployments take place in one phase, over five months, coinciding with an immediate start to the final status negotiations," Mr Netanyahu said.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed his opposition to even the negotiated creation of a Palestinian state.

"I am against the idea of a state, which implies unbridled sovereignty for the Palestinians," he said.

Mr Netanyahu has said his vision of the Palestinian future would be an autonomous but demilitarized entity without full control over its foreign or defense policies, water resources or airspace.

Spelling out conditions for the permanent peace agreement, he said it would have to include "security arrangements in the Jordan valley, a security zone along the western border of the West Bank and corridors" running across the territory.

He also reiterated that Israel would not yield sovereignty over annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope to make the capital of a future state.

Internet Links

Israeli Prime Minister's Office
Jerusalem Post
Palestinian National Authority
Palestinian Times

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Summaries

In this section

India faces more political turmoil
Czech government falls apart
'Key evidence' in Oklahoma bombing trial
Pakistani government apologises for court commotion
Cook promises to end mystery of Nazi gold
Police defend decision not to prosecute Winnie
US and Iraq on fresh collision course
Belgium bans all tobacco ads from 1999
Blair commits troops to Bosnia
Gunfire in Kinshasa
Scorched earth in 1997 (From Sci/Tech)
Hundreds of bushfires out of control in Australia
Korean minister goes cap in hand to Japan
`Thousands of civilians killed' in Rwanda
34 die in bus crash in India
Saudis push for rise in oil production (From Business)
Israeli construction projects given the go-ahead
Bootleg booze proves fatal for Russians
UN to fly food into Afghanistan
Hollywood attacks tobacco
Chinese medicine goes global (From Sci/Tech)
Fiji faces fat crisis
EU reassures Turkey over membership
Cook backs Czech EU membership
Czech gypsies warned off