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Sun, Aug 29, 2010 | Prime Minister’s Office

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with fellow Likud party members during a meeting in Tel Aviv on August 30. Netanyahu on Tuesday left Israel for Washington where he is due to restart direct peace talks with the Palestinians after a 20-month hiatus. (AFP/Jack Guez)

PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks

Remarks of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks scheduled this week in Washington

On Tuesday (Aug 31, 2010), I will leave for Washington to launch the direct talks between us and the Palestinians. We have insisted that these talks be held without pre-conditions and thus it will be. Our goal is to seriously and responsibly advance a peace agreement that will be based on the following principles:

First of all, the recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People, the end of the conflict and of claims on Israel, that will stem from recognizing it as the national state of the Jewish People, and the establishment of tangible security measures on the ground so as to ensure that there will not be a repeat in Judea and Samaria of what happened in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip after Israel withdrew from these areas. Of course, there are many other issues but I note these three principles as the basic components of Israel’s approach.

I am convinced that if the Palestinian leadership approaches these talks with the same degree of seriousness as we will be able to advance toward a stable agreement that will ensure peace and security for both peoples and will contribute to the security and stability of the region. I am aware of the difficulties; I do not make light of them. I know that there will be many potholes, but the basic question is whether the Palestinian side will be as willing as the Israeli side to advance towards a peace that will resolve this conflict for generations to come.

There shouldn’t just be a tactical halt between two wars or two outbreaks of terrorism, but a peace based on recognition, security, stability and economic prosperity between the two peoples that will endure for us and our children. This is my goal and I very much hope that it is the goal of the Palestinian leadership as well.

In the framework of these talks, of course, I will meet with US President Barack Obama and I also expect to see our neighbors there, the leaders of Egypt and Jordan, in addition to meetings with the Palestinians.