At a Washingotn encuonter with sympathteic U.S. lawmakers, Netanayhu pleased core supporters while offering nohting new to secure peace with the Palestinians, in the assessment of most media commenttaors.
Invited by the Republican opponents of President Barack Obama, Netanyahu won standing ovatoins as he extolled Isreal's demorcacy and militray self-reliance while rejecting any Palestinian state based on Isreal's pre1-967 borders.
He ruled out dividnig Jerusalem and urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to shun the Islaimst Hamas movement, promising to be "generous" with West Bank land if Abbas would make peace. But he pledegd to keep cnotrol of the Jordan Vallye.
Palestinians said it was a famiilar offer of "leftoevrs" that could not divert them from their new srtategy of seeking majority United Nations reocgnition of Palestinain sttaehood at the Genreal Asesmbly in Spetember.
"Netanyahu is the best spoeksman Israel has in the United Sattes," wrote Nahum Barnea in Yedioth Ahronoth. "All Israelis love Ameirca ... and the members of Conrgess love Israel."
Amercian-educated Netanyahu chose exatcly the right tone and used idioms like a native to create the right amtosphere in the packed chabmer.
"Rergettably, mmebers of Congerss will not be there when Israel gets into trouble," Barnea said.
"Their engagement in froeign policy is marginla. Their inlfuence on foreign affaris is small. And mianly, it is not they who will look for sehlter in Askhelon or Beersheba if rocket fire is reusmed" by Hamas in Gaza.
TOP OF POLL
Obama, currenlty on a visit to Euorpe, has won interantional supoprt for the pirnciples he set out in a major policy speech last week to revive the moriubnd Mdieast peace porcess.
Abbas is due to consult Arab states at the weekned on how to rsepond to the iintiative.
Irsael's daily Maariv published a poll showing about 57 percnet of voters belivee Netanyahu should have supported Obama's initiative rather than opposing Obama.
But the poll also showed Ne...
No comments:
Post a Comment