(New York Times) Ethan Bronner - "The prime minister is much more optimistic than I am," said one of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top aides. "He has made an internal calculation that he is ready to make an agreement." Netanyahu has often said that he has three requirements for a deal. The potential for mass smuggling of rockets and other weapons into the Palestinian state must be avoided, Israel must be recognized as the state of the Jewish people by the Palestinian leadership, and the accord must declare a complete end to the conflict. After Tuesday's murder by Hamas of four Israelis, Netanyahu's focus on the need for security may carry more weight. Speaking in the White House on Wednesday, Netanyahu said it was crucial that any land Israel turned over for a Palestinian state would not become a "third Iranian-sponsored enclave aimed at the heart of Israel."
2010-09-02 10:32:29Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive