ISRAEL-ELECTION/NETANYAHU-REAX Palestinians reject Netanyahu's comments on Palestinian state

Record ID: 399308

  • Title: ISRAEL-ELECTION/NETANYAHU-REAX Palestinians reject Netanyahu's comments on Palestinian state
  • Date: 16th March 2015
  • Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MARCH 16, 2015) (REUTERS) SENIOR PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL OF PALESTINIANS LIBERATION ORGANISATION, WASEL ABU YOUSSEF, SHAKING HANDS WITH REPORTER LOGO READING STATE OF PALESTINE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SENIOR PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL OF PALESTINIANS LIBERATION ORGANISATION, WASEL ABU YOUSSEF, SAYING: "I think that the comments of Netanyahu the Prime Minister of t
  • Embargoed: 31st March 2015 13:00
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  • Location: Gaza
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3V2EHCBEI7U2MLXEG2XY4L5YY
  • Story Text: Palestinians reacted on Monday (March 16) to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comment on the Palestinian state.
    Netanyahu said in a final bid to shore up right-wing support ahead of a knife-edge vote on Tuesday (March 17) that he would not permit a Palestinian state to be created under his watch if he is re-elected.
    Senior Palestinian official of Palestinians Liberation Organisation (PLO), Wasel Abu Youssef, said that Netanyahu wants to gain more votes.
    "I think that the comments of Netanyahu the Prime Minister of the (Israeli) occupation today show the strategy of the right and the extreme right (parties) of the occupation who wants to prevent the establishing of a Palestinian state by taking steps on the ground like continuing the settlement, and that is what Netanyahu has mentioned today. Continuing the settlement prevents negotiations over Jerusalem and cancels the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state," said Wasel Abu Youssef from Ramallah.
    Residents of the West Bank city of Hebron said that it is part of the propaganda for the elections.
    "It is only a propaganda for him (Netanyahu). But all the world agree on establishing a Palestinian state," said Abdalah Abu El-Wafa.
    "It is Israel's policy. By telling the Jewish nation that they (the candidates) are against the palestinians and as much as they can show that they are against the Palestinians as much as they can gain votes," said another resident Omar Hamouri.
    In Gaza Hamas leader, Salah al-Bardawil, had the same opinion like the Palestinians in the West Bank
    "Netanyahu's comments that if he will win there will never be a Palestinian state are part of the Israeli election propaganda which reflect how extreme the Israeli society is," said al-Bardawil.
    Trailing his centre-left opponent Isaac Herzog in opinion polls, the three-term leader has sought to shift the focus away from socioeconomic issues and on to security challenges, saying he alone can defend Israel.
    Having previously hinted that he would accept a Palestinian state, Netanyahu reversed course on Monday, citing risks that he linked to the regional spread of Islamist militancy. He said that if he is re-elected, the Palestinians would not get the independent state they seek in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
    Israelis in Jerusalem have mixed feelings about Netanyahu's comments.
    "If he said that he is obviously very worried that he is going to loose tomorrow. Which, I have been hearing that it is something might will happen. Though, I do support the center right I think may be his time has come to an end," said Ben Lavin from Jerusalem.
    "If this is in Bibi's (Benjamin Netanyahu) interest, due to personal or political reasons, for the benefit of the state of just for his own good he will establish a Palestinian state. If it's not in his best interest, he will not. This got nothing to do with... the same thing with Herzog, there is no linkage in Israel between what politicians say and what they do. We have enough experience," said Eli an Israeli resident.
    Herzog, leader of Israel's Labour party, favours reviving peace talks with U.S.-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Herzog's centrist running mate, Tzipi Livni, was formerly a member of Netanyahu's conservative coalition government and handled negotiations with Abbas until they stalled last April.
    Herzog and Livni have accused Netanyahu of playing up fears over the Palestinians and Iran's nuclear programme to distract voters from the high cost of living and other social issues, which according to surveys are Israelis' principal concerns.
    No single party has ever won an outright majority in the legislature, making coalitions the norm. Israel's president picks the political leader whom he believes has the best chance of forming a coalition to have a go first.
    In that respect, Netanyahu's pledge, coupled with his visit to a prominent West Bank settlement earlier on Monday where he promised to go on building on occupied land, appeared designed to draw as much of the right-wing vote as possible.
    That may succeed in closing the four-seat gap that the centre-left has over his Likud party going into the vote, increasing the possibility that President Reuven Rivlin will choose him to try to form a coalition first, not the opposition.
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