That Went Well.. .

Some folks just don't like being thrown under the bus

INN:

Israel Expects Obama to Take Back ‘1967 Lines’ Demand
by Gil Ronen

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was quick on the draw Thursday in voicing clear displeasure with President Barack Obama’s mideast policy speech.

“Israel appreciates President Obama’s commitment to peace,” the response began, curtly. “Israel believes that for peace to endure between Israelis and Palestinians, the viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of the viability of the one and only Jewish state.”

“That is why Prime Minister Netanyahu expects to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, which were overwhelmingly supported by both Houses of Congress.”

“Among other things,” Netanyahu reminded Obama, “those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines which are both indefensible and which would leave major Israeli population centers in Judea and Samaria beyond those lines.”

“Those commitments also ensure Israel’s well-being as a Jewish state by making clear that Palestinian refugees will settle in a future Palestinian state rather than in Israel.”

“Without a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem outside the borders of Israel, no territorial concession will bring peace.”

“Equally, the Palestinians, and not just the United States, must recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people, and any peace agreement with them must end all claims against Israel.”

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will make clear that the defense of Israel requires an Israeli military presence along the Jordan River.”

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will also express his disappointment over the Palestinian Authority’s decision to embrace Hamas, a terror organization committed to Israel’s destruction, as well as over Mahmoud Abbas’s recently expressed views which grossly distort history and make clear that Abbas seeks a Palestinian state in order to continue the conflict with Israel rather than end it.”

Jerusalem Post:

Abbas calls emergency meeting over Obama address
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
05/19/2011 21:18
PA president seeks urgent consultations with Arab leaders over address; Hamas spokesmen accuses Obama of "deception," favoritism to Israel.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday called an emergency meeting of the PA leadership to discuss US President Barack Obama’s speech on peace in the Middle East, a PA official in Ramallah said.

Abbas has also decided to hold urgent consultations with a number of Arab leaders on the speech, the official said.

PLO Executive Committee member Saeb Erekat said that Abbas remained committed to fulfilling all Palestinian obligations in accordance with international agreements, especially the road map plan and the 2002 Arab peace initiative.

Erekat said that the PA was hoping that the Israeli government would fulfill its obligations “to give the peace process the chance it deserves.”

Erekat said that Abbas appreciated Obama’s efforts to resume the peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel so as to reach a final solution on the core issues according to an agreed timetable.

“President Abbas affirms his appreciation for President Obama’s declaration regarding people’s right to self-determination, freedom and dignity, as well as ensuring freedom of worship,” Erekat added. “The Palestinians need more than any other people such issues to get rid of occupation.”

Hamas, on the other hand, accused Obama of “deception” and bias in favor of Israel.

Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told Agence France Press that his movement does not believe in US policies because they are biased in favor of Israel and deny Palestinian rights.

Jerusalem Post:

Right wing MKs: Obama is the new Arafat
By GIL HOFFMAN AND REBECCA ANNA STOIL
05/19/2011 20:53
Danon, Ben-Ari outraged by US president's call for creation of Palestinian state on '67 lines; Livni says plan in Israel's interests.

Knesset members on the Right expressed outrage on Thursday night at US President Barack Obama's call for the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps in an exchange of territory for security.

They called upon Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reject Obama's plan when he meets with him on Friday in Washington.

"Barack Hussein Obama adopted the staged plan for Israel's destruction of Yasser Arafat, and he is trying to force it on our prime minister," said Likud MK Danny Danon. "All that was new in the speech was that he called for Israel to return to 1967 borders without solving the crisis. Netanyahu has only one option: To tell Obama forget about it."

National Union MK Michael Ben-Ari also slammed Obama's speech, calling it "a landmine with pretty wrapping."

Environment Minister Gilad Erdan, who as a minister close to Netanyahu must be more diplomatic, complained on Channel 2 that according to Obama's approach, the Palestinians would receive their demands on borders before negotiations begin.

"Once they have everything from the start, they have no reason to make any concessions,"Erdan said.

But opposition leader Tzipi Livni said Obama's plan was clearly in Israel's interests, while the diplomatic stalemate that she believes was brought on by Netanyahu is not.

"On his visit, Netanyahu must display the leadership necessary now to create the conditions necessary to restart negotiations with those who are ready to end the conflict," Livni said. "Only a real Israeli initiative with content that can receive American and international support can be an answer to the current dangers and opportunities."

Her Kadima colleague, MK Yoel Hasson, warned that if Netanyahu did not take immediate action, he would bring Israel into deeper international isolation and borders forced on Israel unilaterally.

Their Kadima counterpart MK Otniel Schneller turned the focus back on his own party, however, calling on the opposition’s leadership to take a strong stand behind the prime minister on issues of foreign policy in light of Obama’s speech.

“Obama’s speech has placed before Israeli society and its representatives the challenge of unity and national agreement. The political disagreements and the motivation of the opposition parties should not overpower their responsibility for the future of the state,” Schneller asserted.

“On the level of diplomatic policy, even Kadima believes in the same principles presented by the prime minister, which constitute the basis for a diplomatic program that the previous government under [Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni tried to advance,” he added. “It would be appropriate if during the prime minister’s meeting with President Obama, everyone knew that the prime minister has no opposition when it comes to realizing his diplomatic initiative. We should expect mature leadership from the heads of all of the Zionist parties on the existential questions facing Israel and its strategic interests."

MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) criticized the speech, saying Obama offered "nothing new" in regards to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Speaking to Channel 2 news, Tibi said that the speech was intended more for Arab audiences who have been participating in pro-democracy protests in the last number of months and claimed that "Obama is riding the tiger of Arab democracy."

Referring to the US president's speech in Cairo two years ago, Tibi concluded by nicknaming this time's address: "Cairo Speech II."