(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - There is no comprehensive U.S. plan that answers Israel's security needs in the eventuality of an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Monday. During the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations led by Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013-2014, President Obama sent a team led by Gen. John Allen to determine how best to meet Israel's security requirements in the context of a two-state solution. But Ya'alon said that Allen presented only part of a plan. And even that part did not meet Israel's security requirements. Ya'alon said that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is unwilling recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jews, and is trying to get out of negotiations that would force him to make concessions as well. Referring to the French plan for a UN Security Council resolution, Ya'alon said attempts to impose a solution from the outside are doomed to failure. Ya'alon denied that Israel was holding talks with Hamas and said it would not do so until the organization forswears terrorism, recognizes Israel, and accepts previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
2015-06-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive