Arab nations are done with waiting for the Palestinians to make peace with Israel before they do, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a press briefing Sunday alongside White House Special Adviser Jared Kushner and U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien.
“For far too long, the Palestinians have had a veto on peace, not only between the Palestinians and Israel, but Israel and the Arab states,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu noted Israel would be “indefensible” if it were to surrender to Palestinian demands including the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Jews from their homes as well as a withdrawal to pre-1967 lines.
“If we had to wait for the Palestinians, we would have to wait forever. But no longer,” he said.
“Two things have changed: The first thing is the Trump plan and the second thing is the willingness of Arab states supported enormously by the United States of American to advance peace without a Palestinian veto,” he said.
LIVE! Statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien and Senior US Presidential Adviser Jared Kushner. https://t.co/zyI7FMJfiZ
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 30, 2020
Netanyahu called the Trump peace plan “the first realistic initiative” for Israeli-Palestinian peace, noting that no Israeli or Palestinian would be uprooted from their home.
“As more Arab and Muslim countries join the circle of peace [the Palestinians] will be hard-pressed to remain outside,” he said.
“We are ready to till fields of peace and bring its bountiful fruits to our people,” he said.
Earlier this month, the UAE and Israel announced a U.S.-brokered agreement to establish diplomatic ties.
On Monday, the first direct flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi will take off with Kushner, O’Brien, U..S Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz and U.S. Iran envoy Brian Hook, together with a delegation of Israeli officials led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat.
The plane, from Israel’s national El Al carrier, will be emblazoned with the word “peace” in Arabic, Hebrew and English.
“We should take a moment to celebrate a historic breakthrough for peace,” Kushner said of the deal. “It’s an accomplishment that does not happen often [and] did not happen easily.”
It “showed other people in the region that Israel was serious, which led to the breakthrough we had today,” Kushner added.
According to Netanyahu, there have been many meetings with leaders of Arab and Muslim countries in recent years about establishing ties, including some on public record – such as meetings with the leaders of Oman, Sudan and Chad – as well as other, clandestine discussions.
“The day will come – it won’t be far away – when we will ask how could it have been any other way. Today’s breakthroughs will become tomorrow’s norms,” he said.
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