Netanyahu Vows No Withdrawal to ‘Indefensible’ 1967 Border
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday vowed that the Jewish state would never withdraw to the "indefensible" 1967 border, revisiting a spat over the issue with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Netanyahu told the powerful pro-Israel lobby said he would spell out his vision for peace with the Palestinians in a speech to Congress on Tuesday, but promised that would not include a withdrawal to lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War.
"I want to assure you of one thing, (peace) must leave Israel with security and therefore Israel cannot return to the indefensible 1967 lines," he said to thunderous applause from the more than 10,000 of Israel's staunchest supporters in America.
The prime minister's remarks come after a weekend in which he clashed with Obama over the issue after the U.S. leader for the first time gave public voice to the long-held view of the U.S. administration that a Palestinian state be created based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Six Day War, with some adjustments so that Israel can maintain settlement blocs.
Obama too refused to back away from his position in his own speech to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) on Sunday, but made it clear the land swaps ensured Israel would not have to return to the actual border lines.
As Netanyahu stood firm, he also continued his recent attempt to smooth over the feud, telling AIPAC that Obama had an "ironclad" commitment to Israel's security and thanked him for funding Israel's advanced missile interceptor system.
But while Netanyahu tried to heal the rift with Obama, there was also another message to the U.S. president implicit in the roars of approval from the 11,000 AIPAC delegates and the attendance of 68 Senators and nearly 270 members of the House: Don't push Israel too far.
Highlighting that was the attendance of hundreds of Obama's political allies and opponents, all gathered at the AIPAC conference to voice their support for the Jewish state.
House Speaker John Boehner, whose Republican party aims to oust President Barack Obama from the White House in 2012, was quick to assure the pro-Israel audience that the cause of Israel's security had his "100 percent support."
Even Obama's Democratic colleagues backed away from his positions.
"No one should set parameters about borders, about building, about anything else," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, speaking before Netanyahu.
Several protesters interrupted Netanyahu's speech, saying that to deny the plight of the Palestinians was "unacceptable," but they were drowned out by the cheers of the many delegates as they were marched out of the hall by security.
"Do you think they have these protests in Gaza?" Netanyahu asked.
The almost unqualified support stood in contrast to the rocky ties between Netanyahu and Obama over the last week.
In a dramatic appearance on Friday, Netanyahu emphatically rejected this, choosing to interpret it as a call for Israel to withdraw to the actual 1967 frontier, before proceeding to lecture the American president in the Oval Office on the realities of the Middle East.
Obama supervised the re-launch of negotiations in September only to see them collapse within weeks when Netanyahu refused to renew a partial freeze on Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
The Palestinians then refused to return to talks while Israel builds on land they want for their promised state.
A far-reaching Israeli initiative is seen as the only way of heading off a Palestinian attempt to unilaterally secure recognition of a state when the U.N. General Assembly meets in September.
But that was before Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas signed a surprise unity deal with the Islamist Hamas.
Since then Netanyahu has said there can be no negotiations with the Palestinians while Hamas, which is designated a terror group by Israel, the United States and the European Union, continues to call for the destruction of the Jewish state.
Still, Netanyahu faces strong calls to put forward an Israel peace plan in the face of mounting international support for recognizing a Palestinian state at the United Nations as a way to unblock the impasse in peace talks.
Netanyahu said he would do so on Tuesday.
"I will outline a vision for a secure Israeli-Palestinians peace, I will speak the unvarnished truth," Netanyahu said.
Source: Agence France Presse
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