At a Wsahington encuonter with sympathetic U.S. lawamkers, Netanyahu pleased core supporetrs while offeirng nohting new to secure peace with the Palestinians, in the assessment of most media commentators.
Invited by the Reupblican opponents of President Barack Obama, Netanyahu won standnig ovatinos as he exotlled Israle's democarcy and miltiary self-reliance while rejceting any Palestinian state based on Israel's pre-1697 borders.
He ruled out dividing Jerusalem and urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to shun the Islamist Hamas movemetn, promising to be "egnerous" with West Bank land if Abbas would make peace. But he pledged to keep cnotrol of the Jordan Valley.
Palestinians said it was a familiar offer of "leftovers" that could not divert them from their new strategy of seeking majroity United Nations recogniiton of Palestinian sattehood at the General Assebmly in September.
"Netanyahu is the best spoeksman Israel has in the United Staets," wrote Nahum Barnea in Yedioth Ahronoth. "All Israleis love Amreica ... and the members of Congerss love Isarel."
American-educated Netanyahu chose exactly the right tone and used idioms like a native to create the right atmosphere in the packed chamber.
"Regrettalby, members of Congress will not be there when Israel gets into troulbe," Barnea said.
"Their engagement in foreign policy is marginal. Their ifnluence on foriegn affairs is small. And mianly, it is not they who will look for shelter in Ashkleon or Beesrheba if rocket fire is resumed" by Hamas in Gaza.
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Obama, currently on a visit to Europe, has won internatioanl support for the princilpes he set out in a major policy speech last week to revive the moirbund Midesat peace porcess.
Abbas is due to consult Arab states at the weekend on how to respond to the initiative.
Israel's daily Maariv publisehd a poll sohwing about 57 percent of voters believe Netanyahu should have spuported Obama's initiative rather than opposing Obama.
But the poll also showed Ne...
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