Fuente: PM to set out ‘firm principles’ in May speech to Congress (April 15, 2011)
Netanyahu ha sido invitado, parece que a iniciativa suya aunque se presente como iniciativa del Portavoz de la Cámara de Representantes, John Boehner, a dirigirse el 24 de mayo de 2011 a ambas cámaras del Congreso de EEUU en sesión conjunta para exponerles los principios de las políticas diplomáticas y de seguridad y sobre la paz con los palestinos y, al parecer, proponer un plan de paz, aunque algunos creen que debiera esperar a que se aclare la revuelta situación actual.
Al respecto, ha dicho ante su partido, el Likud:
"[that] he would also speak about the way he believes it will be possible to reach peace with the Palestinians.
“Not peace on paper,” he said. “Not a peace of ceremonies, but a real peace that will last and ensure our security and future.”
Netanyahu said the pillars of such a peace would be Palestinian recognition of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, and genuine security arrangements on the ground needed not only to secure the peace, but also to defend Israel in the eventuality that the peace crumbles.
“We need to prepare in light of the tempest taking place around us,” the prime ministersaid. “I will stand firm on these principles in spite of a not-insignificant amount of pressure, because they are necessary for our existence.”
Earlier in the day, at a meeting with the IDF General Staff, Netanyahu alluded to the upcoming holiday and the phrase in the Hagadda saying that in every generation there are those who rise up to destroy the Jewish people.
“What has changed is not that in every generation there are still enemies who are trying to destroy us, but that in this generation we have the means to repel these attacks, and the means are the IDF, its soldiers and commanders who are represented here – to repel these attacks,” he said.
Otros creen que debe actuar sin esperar: The two things we know about a Middle East in flux, and what they mean for Israel (David Rothkopf, April 26, 2011). A este artículo Kramer le hace la siguiente y sardónica apostilla:
Did David Rothkopf omit a sentence? One linking the analysis ("we know as little or less today about what will happen next in Egypt or in Libya or in Tunisia or Yemen or in Syria as we did when all this started") with the conclusion ("Netanyahu needs to get out ahead of this Palestinian story and offer his own formula for peace")? No one knows if there’s water in the pool, but Israel should dive in head-first?
Puede que el acuerdo para formar un gobierno unitario Fatah-Jamás acabe con el plan de Netanyahu antes de que le haya dado tiempo a exponerlo ante los congresistas americanos. No obstante, a pesar del acuerdo, Elliott Abrams piensa (May 6) que ante el Congreso de EEUU Netanyahu debe sostener:
That Israel wants peace and remains committed to the two-state solution;
that it realizes the State of Israel will have to give up some settlements in the Land of Israel, if peace is obtainable;
that the refugee problem must indeed be solved, but the solution must be found in Palestine, not in Israel;
that the fundamental problem is security, and the continuing refusal by the Palestinians to accept Israel as a Jewish State;
that there can be no return to the 1949 armistice lines; and
that anyone who seeks peace must regard the entry of Hamas into the PLO and into the Palestinian Authority as a grim development.
Tras el discurso de Obama del 19 de mayo, Caroline Glick recomienda a Netanyahu:
All of this means is that if Prime Minister Netanyahu was planning to be nice to Obama, and pretend that everything is terrific with the administration, he should just forget about it. He needn't attack Obama. Let the Republicans do that.
But both in his speech to AIPAC and his address to Congress, he should very forthrightly tell the truth about:
the nature of the populist movements in the Middle East,
the danger of a nuclear Iran,
the Palestinians' commitment to Israel's destruction;
the lie of the so-called peace process;
the importance of standing by allies; and
the critical importance of a strong Israel to US national security.
He has nothing to gain and everything to lose by playing by the rules that Obama is trying to set for him.
Frente a quienes sostienen que Netanyahu hablará ante el Congreso para hacer una llamada partidista a los Republicanos frente a un Presidente Demócrata, Barry Rubin dice (Apr 29):
It's an institutional appeal for congressional support against a partly unfriendly, partly uncomprehending, and partly ideologically stupified president.
What Would Ben-Gurion Do? (Elliot Jager, May 19, 2011)
En los días anteriores a la comparecencia de Netanyahu ante el Congreso de EEUU se producirán algunos eventos relevantes:
Jueves, 19 May- El Presidente Obama se dirigirá al Departmento de Estado
Viernes, 20 May- Obama-Netanyahu se reunirán en la Casa Blanca
Domingo, 22 May- Obama se dirige a la American-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC)
Lunes, 23 May- El Primer Ministro Netanyahu se dirige a la AIPAC.
Martes, 24 May- Netanyahu se dirige al Congreso de EEUU
Obama and Netanyahu's policy speeches (BICOM BRIEFING, May 19, 2011)
Mahmoud Abbas también le siega la hierba preventivamente (16 mayo)
Pero Netanyahu parece no arrugarse - Su discurso en el Día de Herzl (16 mayo)
Justo después de la nueva ronda de Diálogo estratégico Israel-EEUU (19 mayo)
El 19 de mayo, Israel y EEUU mantienen su Diálogo Estratégico anual. Las delegaciones han estado encabezadas por el israelí Viceministro de AAEE, Danny Ayalon, y el useño Vicesecretario de Estado, James Steinberg. Video con su briefing a los medios antes de comenzar el diálogo, que duró todo el día.
Steinberg también visitará la ribera Occidental y se reunirá con Mahmoud Abbas y otros representantes palestinos.
Video en el que Steinberg responde a las preguntas que se le hicieron en Facebook sobre las relaciones EEUU-Israel-Oriente Medio.
A raíz de la visita de Steinberg, Elliott Abrams señala y se pregunta en qué país está la Knésset en Where is the Knesset? (May 22) y en otro artículo del mismo título (May 21), en éste con más extensión y detalles sobre la evolución histórica que esto supone y la actuación de previos Presidentes y administraciones americanos y donde también analiza las 'fronteras de 1967':
In what country is the Knesset? And in what country is the Western Wall of the ancient Temple?
These questions arise when the State Department announces that the Deputy Secretary is visiting “Israel, Jerusalem, and the West Bank.” As James Steinberg, the Deputy Secretary, presumably visited Israeli officials in their offices in West Jerusalem, which was part of Israel before the 1967 war, one wonders what is meant by saying he went to Israel and Jerusalem.
Discurso Emboscada de Obama ante el Departamento de Estado sobre la política MENA de EEUU (19 mayo)
Reunión Obama-Netanyahu en Washington (20 mayo)
Discurso de Obama ante la AIPAC (22 mayo)
Discurso de Netanyahu ante la AIPAC (23 mayo)
Israeli leader addresses Congress (House.gov)
Fuente: Israel Prime Minister Office - Ministerio de AAEE de Israel
I am deeply moved by your warm welcome. And I am deeply honored that you have given me the opportunity to address Congress a second time. Mr. Vice President, do you remember the time that we were the new kids in town?
And I do see a lot of old friends here. And I see a lot of new friends of Israel here. Democrats and Republicans alike.
Israel has no better friend than America. And America has no better friend than Israel. We stand together to defend democracy. We stand together to advance peace. We stand together to fight terrorism. Congratulations America, Congratulations, Mr. President. You got bin Laden. Good riddance!
In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a region of shifting alliances, Israel is America’s unwavering ally. Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American.
My friends, you don’t need to do nation building in Israel. We’re already built. You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it. You don’t need to send American troops to Israel. We defend ourselves. You’ve been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security. I know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this.
Some of you have been telling me that your belief has been reaffirmed in recent months that support for Israel’s security is a wise investment in our common future. For an epic battle is now unfolding in the Middle East, between tyranny and freedom. A great convulsion is shaking the earth from the Khyber Pass to the Straits of Gibraltar. The tremors have shattered states and toppled governments. And we can all see that the ground is still shifting. Now this historic moment holds the promise of a new dawn of freedom and opportunity. Millions of young people are determined to change their future. We all look at them. They muster courage. They risk their lives. They demand dignity. They desire liberty.
These extraordinary scenes in Tunis and Cairo, evoke those of Berlin and Prague in 1989. Yet as we share their hopes, we also must also remember that those hopes could be snuffed out as they were in Tehran in 1979. You remember what happened then. The brief democratic spring in Iran was cut short by a ferocious and unforgiving tyranny. This same tyranny smothered Lebanon’s democratic Cedar Revolution, and inflicted on that long-suffering country, the medieval rule of Hezbollah.
So today, the Middle East stands at a fateful crossroads. Like all of you, I pray that the peoples of the region choose the path less travelled, the path of liberty. No one knows what this path consists of better than you. This path is not paved by elections alone. It is paved when governments permit protests in town squares, when limits are placed on the powers of rulers, when judges are beholden to laws and not men, and when human rights cannot be crushed by tribal loyalties or mob rule.
Israel has always embraced this path, in the Middle East that has long rejected it. In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are persecuted, Israel stands out. It is different.
As the great English writer George Eliot predicted over a century ago, that once established, the Jewish state will "shine like a bright star of freedom amid the despotisms of the East.” Well, she was right. We have a free press, independent courts, an open economy, rambunctious parliamentary debates. You think you guys are tough on one another in Congress? Come spend a day in the Knesset. Be my guest.
Courageous Arab protesters, are now struggling to secure these very same rights for their peoples, for their societies. We're proud that over one million Arab citizens of Israel have been enjoying these rights for decades. Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights. I want you to stop for a second and think about that. Of those 300 million Arabs, less than one-half of one-percent are truly free, and they're all citizens of Israel!
This startling fact reveals a basic truth: Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.
Israel fully supports the desire of Arab peoples in our region to live freely. We long for the day when Israel will be one of many real democracies in the Middle East.
Fifteen years ago, I stood at this very podium, and said that democracy must start to take root in the Arab World. Well, it's begun to take root. This beginning holds the promise of a brilliant future of peace and prosperity. For I believe that a Middle East that is genuinely democratic will be a Middle East truly at peace.
But while we hope and work for the best, we must also recognize that powerful forces oppose this future. They oppose modernity. They oppose democracy. They oppose peace.
Foremost among these forces is Iran. The tyranny in Tehran brutalizes its own people. It supports attacks against American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. It subjugates Lebanon and Gaza. It sponsors terror worldwide.
When I last stood here, I spoke of the dire consequences of Iran developing nuclear weapons. Now time is running out, and the hinge of history may soon turn. For the greatest danger facing humanity could soon be upon us: A militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear weapons.
Militant Islam threatens the world. It threatens Islam. I have no doubt that it will ultimately be defeated. It will eventually succumb to the forces of freedom and progress. It depends on cloistering young minds for a given amount of years and the process of opening up information will ultimately defeat this movement. But like other fanaticisms that were doomed to fail, militant Islam could exact a horrific price from all of us before its inevitable demise.
A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. It would give terrorists a nuclear umbrella. It would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger throughout the world. I want you to understand what this means. If we don't stop it, it's coming. They could put the bomb anywhere. They could put it on a missile. They're working on missiles that could reach this city. It could be on a container ship in a port, or in a suitcase on a subway.
Now the threat to my country cannot be overstated. Those who dismiss it are sticking their heads in the sand. Less than seven decades after six million Jews were murdered, Iran's leaders deny the Holocaust of the Jewish people, while calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Leaders who spew such venom, should be banned from every respectable forum on the planet. But there is something that makes the outrage even greater: The lack of outrage. In much of the international community, the calls for our destruction are met with utter silence. It is even worse because there are many who rush to condemn Israel for defending itself against Iran’s terror proxies.
But not you. Not America. You have acted differently. You've condemned the Iranian regime for its genocidal aims. You’ve passed tough sanctions against Iran. History will salute you America.
President Obama has said that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He successfully led the Security Council to adopt sanctions against Iran. You in Congress passed even tougher sanctions. These words and deeds are vitally important.
Yet the Ayatollah regime briefly suspended its nuclear program only once, in 2003, when it feared the possibility of military action. That same year, Muammar Qadaffi gave up his nuclear weapons program, and for the same reason. The more Iran believes that all options are on the table, the less the chance of confrontation. This is why I ask you to continue to send an unequivocal message: that America will never permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
As for Israel, if history has taught the Jewish people anything, it is that we must take calls for our destruction seriously. We are a nation that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. When we say never again, we mean never again. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself.
My friends, while Israel will be ever vigilant in its defense, we will never give up on our quest for peace. I guess we’ll give it up when we achieve it. Israel wants peace. Israel needs peace. We've achieved historic peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan that have held up for decades.
I remember what it was like before we had peace. I was nearly killed in a firefight inside the Suez Canal. I mean that literally, inside the Suez Canal. I was going down to the bottom with a 40 pound ammunition pack on my back, and somebody reached out to grab me, and they're still looking for him, for the guy who did such a stupid thing. I was nearly killed there. I battled terrorists along both banks of the Jordan River. Too many Israelis have lost loved ones. I know their grief. I lost my brother.
So no one in Israel wants a return to those terrible days. The peace with Egypt and Jordan has long served as an anchor of stability and peace in the heart of the Middle East.
This peace should be bolstered by economic and political support to all those who remain committed to peace.
The peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are vital. But they're not enough. We must also find a way to forge a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Two years ago, I publicly committed to a solution of two states for two peoples: A Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.
I am willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace. As the leader of Israel, it is my responsibility to lead my people to peace.
This is not easy for me. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be required to give up parts of the ancestral Jewish homeland. In Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo.
This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion of history can deny the four thousand year old bond, between the Jewish people and the Jewish land.
But there is another truth: The Palestinians share this small land with us. We seek a peace in which they will be neither Israel’s subjects nor its citizens. They should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free, viable and independent people in their own state. They should enjoy a prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish.
We've already seen the beginnings of what is possible. In the last two years, the Palestinians have begun to build a better life for themselves. Prime Minister Fayad has led this effort. I wish him a speedy recovery from his recent operation.
We've helped the Palestinian economy by removing hundreds of barriers and roadblocks to the free flow of goods and people. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. The Palestinian economy is booming. It's growing by more than 10% a year.
Palestinian cities look very different today than they did just a few years ago. They have shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, banks. They even have e-businesses. This is all happening without peace. Imagine what could happen with peace. Peace would herald a new day for both peoples. It would make the dream of a broader Arab-Israeli peace a realistic possibility.
So now here is the question. You have to ask it. If the benefits of peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us? Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of the Oslo accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it.
You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. This is what this conflict is about. In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews said yes. The Palestinians said no. In recent years, the Palestinians twice refused generous offers by Israeli Prime Ministers, to establish a Palestinian state on virtually all the territory won by Israel in the Six Day War.
They were simply unwilling to end the conflict. And I regret to say this: They continue to educate their children to hate. They continue to name public squares after terrorists. And worst of all, they continue to perpetuate the fantasy that Israel will one day be flooded by the descendants of Palestinian refugees.
My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I have done. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn’t easy for me, and I said… "I will accept a Palestinian state." It is time for President Abbas to stand before his people and say… "I will accept a Jewish state."
Those six words will change history. They will make clear to the Palestinians that this conflict must come to an end. That they are not building a state to continue the conflict with Israel, but to end it. They will convince the people of Israel that they have a true partner for peace. With such a partner, the people of Israel will be prepared to make a far reaching compromise. I will be prepared to make a far reaching compromise.
This compromise must reflect the dramatic demographic changes that have occurred since 1967. The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live beyond the 1967 lines, reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem and Greater Tel Aviv.
These areas are densely populated but geographically quite small. Under any realistic peace agreement, these areas, as well as other places of critical strategic and national importance, will be incorporated into the final borders of Israel.
The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations. But we must also be honest. So I am saying today something that should be said publicly by all those who are serious about peace. In any real peace agreement that ends the conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel’s borders. The precise delineation of those borders must be negotiated. We will be generous on the size of a future Palestinian state. But as President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible lines of 1967.
I want to be very clear on this point. Israel will be generous on the size of the Palestinians state but we'll be very firm on where we put the border with it. This is an important principle. It shouldn't be lost.
We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable, independent and prosperous. President Obama rightly referred to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, just as he referred to the future Palestinian state as the homeland of the Palestinian people. Jews from around the world have a right to immigrate to the one and only Jewish state. Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if they so choose, to a Palestinian state. This means that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel.
As for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of worship for all faiths in the city. Throughout the millennial history of the Jewish capital, the only time that Jews, Christians and Muslims could worship freely, could have unfettered access to their holy sites, has been during Israel sovereignty over Jerusalem. Jerusalem must never again be divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. I know that this is a difficult issue for Palestinians. But I believe with creativity and goodwill a solution can be found.
This is the peace I plan to forge with a Palestinian partner committed to peace. But you know very well, that in the Middle East, the only peace that will hold is a peace you can defend.
So peace must be anchored in security. In recent years, Israel withdrew from South Lebanon and Gaza. We thought we'd get peace, but that's not what we got. Instead, we got 12,000 rockets fired from those areas on our cities, on our children, by Hezbollah and Hamas. The UN peacekeepers in Lebanon failed to prevent the smuggling of this weaponry. The European observers in Gaza evaporated overnight. So if Israel simply walked out of the territories, the flow of weapons into a future Palestinian state would be unchecked. Missiles fired from it could reach virtually every home in Israel in less than a minute. I want you to think about that too. Imagine there's a siren going on now and we have less than 60 seconds to find shelter from an incoming rocket. Would you live that way? Can anyone live that way? Well, we aren’t going to live that way either.
The truth is that Israel needs unique security arrangements because of its unique size. Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world. Mr. Vice President, I'll grant you this. It’s bigger than Delaware. It’s even bigger than Rhode Island. But that’s about it. Israel on the 1967 lines would be half the width of the Washington Beltway.
Now here’s a bit of nostalgia. I first came to Washington thirty years ago as a young diplomat. It took me a while, but I finally figured it out: there is an America beyond the Beltway. But Israel on the 1967 lines would be only nine miles wide. So much for strategic depth.
So it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel’s security that a Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is absolutely vital that Israel maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect the peace, they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our peace partners today will be there tomorrow.
And when I say tomorrow, I don't mean some distant time in the future. I mean -- tomorrow. Peace can be achieved only around the negotiating table. The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all those who want to see this conflict end.
I appreciate the President’s clear position on this issue. Peace cannot be imposed. It must be negotiated. But it can only be negotiated with partners committed to peace.
And Hamas is not a partner for peace. Hamas remains committed to Israel's destruction and to terrorism. They have a charter. That charter not only calls for the obliteration of Israel. It says ‘kill the Jews wherever you find them’. Hamas’ leader condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden and praised him as a holy warrior. Now again I want to make this clear. Israel is prepared to sit down today and negotiate peace with the Palestinian Authority. I believe we can fashion a brilliant future of peace for our children. But Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by the Palestinian version of Al Qaeda.
So I say to President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas! Sit down and negotiate! Make peace with the Jewish state! And if you do, I promise you this. Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. It will be the first to do so.
My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in ancient and modern times alike.
I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And may God forever bless the United States of America.
Fuente: Traducido para porisrael.org por José Blumenfeld - Difusion: www.porisrael.org
Me siento profundamente honrado por vuestra cálida bienvenida. Y me siento profundamente honrado por haberme dado la oportunidad de dirigirme al Congreso por segunda vez.
Señor Vicepresidente. ¿Recuerda usted cuando éramos los chicos nuevos de la ciudad?
Y veo un montón de viejos amigos aquí. Y veo un montón de nuevos amigos de Israel aquí. Tanto Demócratas como Republicanos.
Israel no tiene mejor amigo que Estados Unidos. Y Estados Unidos no tiene mejor amigo que Israel. Estamos juntos para defender la democracia. Estamos juntos para promover la paz. Estamos juntos para luchar contra el terrorismo. Felicitaciones Estados Unidos, Felicitaciones, señor Presidente. Atrapó a bin Laden. ¡Un buen hasta nunca!
En un inestable Medio Oriente, Israel es un ancla de estabilidad. En una región de cambiantes alianzas, Israel es el incondicional aliado de Estados Unidos. Israel siempre ha sido pro-estadounidense. Israel siempre será pro-estadounidense.
Mis amigos, ustedes no necesitan construir una nación en Israel. Ya estamos construidos. Ustedes no necesitan exportar democracia a Israel. Ya la tenemos. Ustedes no necesitan enviar tropas estadounidenses para defender a Israel. Nosotros nos defendemos. Ustedes han sido muy generosos al darnos herramientas para efectuar la tarea de defender a Israel nosotros mismos. Gracias a todos ustedes, y gracias a usted, Presidente Obama, por su firme compromiso con la seguridad de Israel. Sé que los tiempos económicos son difíciles. Aprecio profundamente esto.
El apoyo a la seguridad de Israel es una sabia inversión en nuestro futuro común. Para una épica batalla que se está desarrollando ahora en Medio Oriente, entre tiranía y libertad. Una gran convulsión sacude la tierra desde el Paso Khyber hasta el Estrecho de Gibraltar. Los temblores han destruido estados y derrocado gobiernos. Y todos podemos ver que el suelo sigue cambiando. Ahora, este momento histórico contiene la promesa de un nuevo amanecer de libertad y oportunidad. Millones de jóvenes están decididos a cambiar su futuro. Todos los observamos. Juntan coraje. Arriesgan sus vidas. Exigen dignidad. Desean libertad.
Estas extraordinarias escenas en Túnez y El Cairo, evocan las de Berlín y Praga en 1989. Sin embargo, al compartir sus esperanzas, también debemos recordar que esas esperanzas podrían ser sofocadas como lo fueron en Teherán en 1979. Recuerdan lo que ocurrió entonces. La breve primavera democrática en Irán se vio interrumpida por una tiranía feroz e implacable. Esta misma tiranía sofocó la democrática Revolución del Cedro en Líbano, y le infligió a ese país, que tanto ha sufrido, el gobierno medieval de Hezbollah.
Así que hoy, el Medio Oriente se encuentra en una aciaga encrucijada. Como todos vosotros, rezo.
Que los pueblos de la región elijan la senda menos transitada, la senda de la libertad. Nadie sabe en qué consiste esta senda mejor que ustedes. Esta senda no está pavimentada sólo por elecciones. Está pavimentada cuando los gobiernos permiten protestas en las plazas, cuando se establecen límites a los poderes de los gobernantes, cuando los jueces están comprometidos con las leyes y no con los hombres, y cuando los derechos humanos no pueden ser aplastados por lealtades tribales o la ley de la mafia.
Israel siempre ha adoptado esta senda, Medio Oriente siempre la ha rechazado. En una región donde las mujeres son lapidadas, los homosexuales son ahorcados, los cristianos son perseguidos, Israel se destaca. Es diferente.
Como el gran escritor Inglés George Eliot predijo, hace más de un siglo, el estado judío, una vez establecido, "relucirá como una brillante estrella de libertad en medio del despotismo de Oriente". Bueno, tuvo razón. Tenemos una prensa libre, tribunales independientes, una economía abierta, revoltosos debates parlamentarios. ¿Creen ustedes que son tipos difíciles el uno para el otro en el Congreso? Vengan a pasar un día en la Knesset. Adelante.
Valientes manifestantes árabes están ahora luchando para asegurar estos mismos derechos para sus pueblos, para sus sociedades. Estamos orgullosos de que más de un millón de ciudadanos árabes de Israel hayan podido disfrutar de estos derechos durante décadas. De los 300 millones de árabes en Medio Oriente y África del Norte, sólo los ciudadanos árabes de Israel disfrutan de verdaderos derechos democráticos. Quiero que se detengan un momento y piensen en eso. De los 300 millones de árabes, menos de la mitad del uno por ciento son verdaderamente libres, ¡y todos ellos son ciudadanos de Israel!
Este sorprendente hecho revela una verdad básica: no es Israel lo que está mal en Medio Oriente. Israel es lo que está bien en Medio Oriente.
Israel apoya plenamente el deseo de los pueblos árabes en nuestra región, de vivir en libertad. Anhelamos el día en que Israel sea una de las muchas democracias reales en Medio Oriente.
Hace quince años, estuve en esta misma tribuna, y dije que la democracia debe comenzar a echar raíces en el mundo árabe. Bueno, ha comenzado a echar raíces. Este comienzo encierra la promesa de un brillante futuro de paz y prosperidad. Porque creo que un Medio Oriente que sea genuinamente democrático será un Medio Oriente verdaderamente en paz.
Pero mientras esperamos, y trabajamos para, lo mejor, también debemos reconocer que poderosas fuerzas se oponen a este futuro. Se oponen a la modernidad. Se oponen a la democracia. Se oponen a la paz.
La primera de estas fuerzas es Irán. La tiranía, en Teherán, embrutece a su propio pueblo. Apoya los ataques contra las tropas estadounidenses en Afganistán e Irak. Somete a Líbano y Gaza. Patrocina el terrorismo en todo el mundo.
La última vez que estuve aquí, hablé de las funestas consecuencias que Irán desarrolle armas nucleares. Ahora el tiempo se acaba, y la bisagra de la historia pronto podría darse vuelta. Porque el mayor peligro que enfrenta la humanidad podría pronto estar sobre nosotros: un régimen islámico militante armado con armas nucleares.
El Islam militante amenaza al mundo. Amenaza al Islam. No tengo ninguna duda que finalmente será derrotado. Finalmente sucumbirá a las fuerzas de la libertad y el progreso. Pero, al igual que otros fanatismos que estuvieron condenados al fracaso, el Islam militante podría exigir un terrible precio de todos nosotros, antes de su inevitable final.
Un Irán con armas nucleares encendería una carrera de armas nucleares en Medio Oriente. Les daría a los terroristas un paraguas nuclear. La pesadilla del terrorismo nuclear sería un claro y presente peligro en todo el mundo. Quiero que entiendan lo que esto significa. Ellos podrían colocar la bomba en cualquier lugar. Podrían colocarlo en un misil. Podrían colocarlo en un barco de contenedores en un puerto, o en una maleta en un metro.
Ahora bien, la amenaza a mi país no puede ser exagerada. Aquellos que la desestiman están escondiendo sus cabezas en la arena. Menos de siete décadas después de que seis millones de judíos fueran asesinados, los líderes de Irán niegan el Holocausto del pueblo judío, mientras llaman a la aniquilación del estado judío.
Los líderes que escupen tal veneno, deberían ser proscriptos en todos los foros respetables del planeta. Pero hay algo que hace que la indignación sea aún mayor: La falta de indignación. En gran parte de la comunidad internacional, los llamados a nuestra destrucción se encuentran con un silencio absoluto. Es aún peor, porque hay muchos que se apresuran a condenar a Israel para defenderse contra los representantes del terrorismo de Irán.
Pero no ustedes. No Estados Unidos. Ustedes han actuado de manera diferente. Ustedes han condenado al régimen iraní por sus objetivos genocidas. Ustedes han aprobado duras sanciones contra Irán. La historia os saludará, Estados Unidos.
El presidente Obama ha dicho que Estados Unidos está decidido a impedir que Irán desarrolle armas nucleares. Exitosamente llevó al Consejo de Seguridad a adoptar sanciones contra Irán. Ustedes en el Congreso aprobaron sanciones aún más duras. Estas palabras y estos hechos son vitalmente importantes.
Sin embargo, el régimen de los ayatollah suspendió, brevemente, su programa nuclear sólo una vez, en 2003, cuando temía la posibilidad de una acción militar. Ese mismo año, Muamar Gadafi renunció a su programa de armas nucleares, y por la misma razón. Cuanto más considere Irán que todas las opciones están sobre la mesa, menor es la posibilidad de confrontación. Por eso les pido que continúen enviando un mensaje inequívoco: “Que Estados Unidos nunca le permitirá a Irán desarrollar armas nucleares”.
En cuanto a Israel, si la historia le ha enseñado algo al pueblo judío, es que tenemos que tomar en serio los llamados a nuestra destrucción. Somos una nación que surgió de las cenizas del Holocausto. Cuando decimos nunca más, queremos decir Nunca Más. Israel siempre se reserva el derecho a defenderse.
Mis amigos, al mismo tiempo que Israel estará siempre vigilante para defenderse, nunca renunciaremos a nuestra búsqueda de la paz. Creo que lo haremos cuando la logremos. Israel quiere la paz. Israel necesita la paz. Hemos logrado históricos acuerdos de paz con Egipto y Jordania, que se han mantenido durante décadas.
Recuerdo lo que era antes de que tuviéramos la paz. Yo estuve cerca de la muerte en un tiroteo en el canal de Suez. Quiero decir, literalmente. Batallé contra terroristas a lo largo de ambas orillas del río Jordán. Demasiados israelíes han perdido a sus seres queridos. Conozco su pena. Perdí a mi hermano.
Así que nadie en Israel quiere un retorno a aquellos terribles días. La paz con Egipto y Jordania ha servido, durante mucho tiempo, como un ancla de estabilidad y paz en el corazón de Medio Oriente.
Esta paz debería ser reforzada con el apoyo económico y político a todos aquellos que sigan comprometidos con la paz.
Los acuerdos de paz con Egipto y Jordania son vitales. Pero no son suficientes. También debemos encontrar una manera de forjar una paz duradera con los palestinos. Hace dos años, me comprometí públicamente a una solución de dos estados para dos pueblos: Un estado palestino junto al estado judío.
Estoy dispuesto a hacer concesiones dolorosas para alcanzar esta paz histórica. Como líder de Israel, es mi responsabilidad guiar a mi pueblo hacia la paz.
Esto no es fácil para mí. Reconozco que, en aras de una paz genuina, estaremos obligados a renunciar a partes de la patria judía. En Judea y Samaria, el pueblo judío no es un ocupante extranjero. Nosotros no somos los británicos en India. No somos los belgas en el Congo.
Esta es la tierra de nuestros antepasados, la Tierra de Israel, a la que Abraham trajo la idea de un Dios, donde David se dispuso a enfrentar a Goliat, y donde Isaías tuvo una visión de paz eterna. Ninguna distorsión de la historia puede negar los cuatro mil años de vínculo entre el pueblo judío y la tierra judía.
Pero hay otra verdad: Los palestinos comparten esta pequeña tierra con nosotros. Buscamos una paz en la que no estén sujetos a Israel, ni sean sus ciudadanos. Deberían disfrutar de una vida nacional de dignidad como pueblo libre, viable e independiente, en su propio estado. Deberían disfrutar de una economía próspera, donde su creatividad e iniciativa puedan florecer.
Ya hemos visto el comienzo de lo que es posible. En los últimos dos años,
Los palestinos han comenzado a construir una vida mejor para sí mismos. El Primer Ministro Fayyad ha conducido este esfuerzo. Le deseo una pronta recuperación de su reciente operación.
Hemos ayudado a la economía palestina, eliminando cientos de barreras y controles a la libre circulación de bienes y personas. Los resultados han sido poco menos que notables. La economía palestina está en auge. Está creciendo a un ritmo de más del 10% anual.
Las ciudades palestinas se ven muy diferentes hoy de lo que se veían hace sólo unos pocos años. Tienen centros comerciales, cines, restaurantes, bancos. Incluso tienen negocios electrónicos. Todo esto sucede sin paz. Imaginen lo que podría suceder con paz. La paz anunciaría un nuevo día para ambos pueblos. Sería una posibilidad realista del sueño de una más amplia paz árabe-israelí.
Así que he aquí la cuestión. Ustedes tienen que formulársela. Si los beneficios de la paz con los palestinos son tan claros. ¿Por qué la paz nos ha eludido? Porque todos los seis primeros ministros israelíes, desde la firma de los acuerdos de Oslo, acordaron establecer un estado palestino. Incluido yo mismo. Entonces… ¿Por qué no se ha logrado la paz? Porque, hasta el momento, los palestinos no han estado dispuestos a aceptar un estado palestino, si eso significaba aceptar un estado judío junto a él.
Ustedes ven, nuestro conflicto nunca ha sido acerca de la creación de un estado palestino. Siempre ha sido acerca de la existencia del estado judío. Esto es de lo que se trata este conflicto. En 1947, las Naciones Unidas votaron la partición de la tierra en un estado judío y un estado árabe. Los judíos dijeron que sí. Los palestinos dijeron que no. En los últimos años, los palestinos rechazaron, dos veces, generosas ofertas de los primeros ministros israelíes, para establecer un estado palestino en casi todo el territorio ganado por Israel en la Guerra de los Seis Días.
Simplemente no estaban dispuestos a poner fin al conflicto. Y lamento decir esto: Continúan educando a sus hijos en el odio. Continúan poniéndoles nombres de terroristas a plazas públicas. Y lo peor de todo es que siguen perpetuando la fantasía que Israel, algún día, será inundado por los descendientes de los refugiados palestinos.
Mis amigos, esto debe terminar. El presidente Abbas debe hacer lo que yo he hecho. Me paré delante de mi pueblo, les dije a ustedes que no fue fácil para mí, y dije... "Voy a aceptar un estado palestino". Es hora de que el presidente Abbas, se pare delante de su pueblo y diga... "Voy a aceptar un Estado Judío".
Esas seis palabras cambiarán la historia. Les dejarán en claro a los palestinos que este conflicto debe terminar. Que no están construyendo un estado para continuar el conflicto con Israel, sino para acabar con él. Convencerán al pueblo de Israel de que tienen un verdadero socio para la paz. Con un tal socio, el pueblo de Israel estará dispuesto a hacer un compromiso de largo alcance. Yo estaré dispuesto a hacer un compromiso de largo alcance.
Este compromiso debe reflejar los dramáticos cambios demográficos que han ocurrido desde 1967. La gran mayoría de los 650.000 israelíes que viven más allá de las líneas de 1967, residen en barrios y suburbios de Jerusalem y del Gran Tel Aviv.
Estas zonas están densamente pobladas, pero geográficamente son muy pequeñas. En virtud de cualquier acuerdo de paz realista, estas zonas, así como otros lugares de fundamental importancia estratégica y nacional, serán incorporadas dentro de las fronteras definitivas de Israel.
El status de los asentamientos sólo se decidirá en negociaciones. Pero también debemos ser honestos. De modo que hoy estoy diciendo algo que debería decir públicamente cualquier persona seria respecto de la paz. En cualquier acuerdo de paz que ponga fin al conflicto, algunos asentamientos acabarán estando más allá de las fronteras de Israel. La delimitación precisa de esas fronteras debe ser negociada. Seremos muy generosos acerca del tamaño de un futuro estado palestino. Pero, como dijo el Presidente Obama, la frontera será diferente a la que existía el 4 de junio de 1967. Israel no volverá a las indefendibles líneas de 1967.
Reconocemos que un estado palestino debe ser lo suficientemente grande como para ser viable, independiente y próspero. El presidente Obama se refirió acertadamente a Israel como la patria del pueblo judío, al igual que se refirió al futuro estado palestino como la patria del pueblo palestino. Los judíos de todo el mundo tienen derecho a emigrar al estado judío. Los palestinos de todo el mundo deberían tener el derecho a emigrar, si así lo desean, a un estado palestino. Esto significa que el problema de los refugiados palestinos se resolverá fuera de las fronteras de Israel.
En cuanto a Jerusalem, sólo un estado democrático de Israel ha protegido la libertad de culto para todas las religiones en la ciudad. Jerusalem nunca más debe ser dividida. Jerusalem debe seguir siendo la capital unida de Israel. Sé que éste es un tema difícil para los palestinos. Pero creo que, con creatividad y buena voluntad, se puede encontrar una solución.
Ésta es la paz que planeo forjar con un socio palestino comprometido con la paz. Pero ustedes saben muy bien que, en Medio Oriente, la única paz que puede mantenerse es una paz que pueda defenderse.
Así que la paz debe basarse en la seguridad. En los últimos años, Israel se retiró del sur de Líbano y de Gaza. Pero no conseguimos la paz. En lugar de eso, conseguimos 12.000 cohetes disparados desde esas zonas contra nuestras ciudades, contra nuestros niños, por parte de Hezbollah y Hamas. Las fuerzas de paz de la ONU en Líbano no pudieron evitar el contrabando de este armamento. Los observadores europeos en Gaza se evaporaron de un día para otro. Así que si Israel, simplemente, saliera de los territorios, el flujo de armas hacia un futuro estado palestino sería incontrolado. Misiles disparados desde ahí, podrían llegar a casi todos los hogares de Israel en menos de un minuto. Quiero que piensen también en eso. Imaginen que, justo en este momento, todos nosotros tuviéramos menos de 60 segundos para buscar refugio de un cohete entrante. ¿Vivirían de esa manera? ¿Podría alguien vivir de esa manera? Bueno, nosotros tampoco vamos a vivir de esa manera.
La verdad es que Israel necesita arreglos de seguridad únicos, en razón de su tamaño único. Israel es uno de los países más pequeños del mundo. Sr. Vice Presidente, le concedo esto. Es más grande que Delaware. Es incluso más grande que Rhode Island. Pero de eso se trata. Israel con las líneas de 1967 sería, en su ancho, la mitad del ancho del cinturón de circunvalación de Washington.
Ahora aquí hay un poco de nostalgia. Vine a Washington, por primera vez, hace treinta años, como un joven diplomático. Me tomó un tiempo, pero finalmente lodescubrí: Existe un Estados Unidos más allá del cinturón de circunvalación. Pero Israel, con las líneas de 1967, tendría sólo 15 kilómetros de ancho. Esto es todo en cuanto a profundidad estratégica.
Por lo tanto, es absolutamente vital para la seguridad de Israel, que un estado palestino esté totalmente desmilitarizado. Y es vital que Israel mantenga una presencia militar, a largo plazo, a lo largo del río Jordán. Son necesarios sólidos arreglos de seguridad sobre el terreno, no sólo para proteger la paz, son necesarios para proteger a Israel en caso de que la paz se deshaga. Porque en nuestra inestable región, nadie puede garantizar que nuestros socios de la paz de hoy estarán allí mañana.
Y cuando digo mañana, no me refiero a un lejano tiempo en el futuro. Quiero decir - mañana. La paz sólo puede lograrse en torno a la mesa de negociaciones. El intento palestino de imponer un acuerdo a través de las Naciones Unidas no traerá la paz. Debe contar con la enérgica oposición de todos aquellos que quieren ver que este conflicto termine.
Agradezco la clara posición del Presidente sobre este tema. La paz no puede ser impuesta. Debe ser negociada. Pero sólo puede ser negociada con socios comprometidos con la paz.
Y Hamas no es un socio para la paz. Hamas continúa comprometido con la destrucción de Israel y con el terrorismo. Tiene estatutos. Estatutos que no sólo exigen la destrucción de Israel, sino que dicen "maten a los judíos donde sea que los encuentren”. El líder de Hamas, condenó el asesinato de Osama bin Laden y lo elogió como un guerrero santo. Ahora, de nuevo, quiero dejar esto claro. Israel está dispuesto a sentarse hoy y negociar la paz con la Autoridad Palestina. Creo que podemos forjar un brillante futuro de paz para nuestros hijos. Pero Israel no negociará con un gobierno palestino respaldado por la versión palestina de Al Qaeda.
Así que le digo al presidente Abbas: ¡Rompa su pacto con Hamas! ¡Siéntese y negocie! ¡Haga la paz con el estado judío! Y si lo hace, le prometo esto. Israel no será el último país en dar la bienvenida a un estado palestino como un nuevo miembro de las Naciones Unidas. Será el primero en hacerlo.
Mis amigos, los trascendentales juicios del siglo pasado, y los acontecimientos en desarrollo de este siglo, atestiguan la decisiva función de Estados Unidos en la promoción de la paz y la defensa de la libertad. La providencia encomendó a Estados Unidos ser el guardián de la libertad. Todos los pueblos que aprecian la libertad tienen una profunda deuda de gratitud con vuestra gran nación. Entre las naciones más agradecidas está mi nación, el pueblo de Israel, que ha luchado por su libertad y supervivencia contra viento y marea, tanto en los tiempos antiguos como en los modernos.
Hablo en nombre del pueblo judío y del estado judío cuando les digo a ustedes, representantes de Estados Unidos, Gracias. Gracias por su apoyo incondicional a Israel. Gracias por asegurar que la llama de la libertad arda brillante en todo el mundo. Que Dios bendiga a todos ustedes. Y que Dios bendiga por siempre a Estados Unidos de América.
Tras el discurso, los de la Fox entrevistan a Netanyahu: Netanyahu on Hannity (video) (May 24)
A su vuelta a Israel el 25 de mayo, el Primer Ministro Netanyahu declara:
"La visita ha sido importante. Encontramos amplio apoyo Americano a las principales reclamaciones de Israel, especialmente al reconocimiento de Israel como el estado nacional del pueblo judío, la necesidad de fronteras seguras y el pleno repudio de Jamás. La gran mayoría del pueblo en Israel se encuentra unido alrededor del amplio esbozo diplomático que propuse en EEUU. Ha llegado el momento de que los partidos Sionistas se unan alrededor de estos principios. También ha llegado el momento de que la Autoridad Palestina reconozca las justas reclamaciones de Israel."
Netanyahu: Jerusalem is Israel's capital (UPI, May 29)
MK Ben-Ari to PM: Negotiate Properly in Eastern Bazaar (May 30):
Member of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari said to the PM today that he should negotiate properly in the Eastern bazaar. “You shouldn’t announce that you will grant the Palestinians a state if they merely acknowledge the State of Israel. Why bother to acknowledge, if a state has already been offered? What if today they acknowledge, and in the future deny? We mustn’t engage in wishful thinking.
Poll: 77% of Israelis oppose going back to pre-'67 lines (Gil Hoffman, June 6):
"77% of Israelis oppose returning to pre-'67 lines even if it would lead to a peace agreement and declarations by Arab states of an end to their conflict with Israel, a poll revealed Monday.… 60% of Israelis believed that defensible borders would ensure security more than a peace agreement would, and 82% considered security concerns more important than a peace deal."
Congress's applause for Netanyahu "as if they had hemorrhoids and Zionist impaling stakes in backsides" (Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik, June 5): al comentar el 26 de mayo la recepción del discurso de Netanyahu por el Congreso de EEUU, Hafez Barghouti, editor del periódico de la AP, no denuncia la ocupación de Israel sino la 'ocupación americana' de la tierra palestina:
"Anyone watching what took place in the Congress [during Israeli PM Netanyahu's speech] would likely be nauseated, because these Congressmen and Senators lost their dignity and looked like riff-raff. Even the most extreme extremist in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) would not have applauded in that idiotic manner, with every word that Netanyahu uttered. The disgraceful applause and the shameful standing [ovations] - 31 times - as if they had hemorrhoids and Zionist impaling stakes in their backsides, are something that can be presented to the UN next September so that the international community might express its opinion concerning the American occupation of Palestinian land and its support of settlement, killing, and expulsion."
Abbas wants no Israeli presence in Palestinian areas (May 29)
Abbas Says Netanyahu's Congress Speech Full of 'Falsehoods' (Calev Ben-David, Heather Langan y Louis Meixler, May 24). También comentado en Abbas Declares Netanyahu's Congress Speech "Full of Lies and Distortions" (CAMERA, MAY 25)
Shaath: Netanyahu has waged war on the peace process (Khlaed Abu Tomameh y JPost, May 25) - Declaraciones de Nabil Shaath, jefe del equipo de negociadores palestinos, Nabil Abu Rudaineh, portavoz de Mahmoud Abbas, y Saeb Erekat, de Fatah y la OLP.
Abbas aide: Netanyahu’s speech to Congress is ‘declaration of war’ against Palestinians (AP en el WaPo, May 24) - con la reacción de Nabil Shaath
Making George Orwell Proud -- AP: FACT CHECK: Netanyahu speech ignores rival claims (sliv_the_eli, May 24) al que refuta FACT CHECK: Netanyahu speech ignores rival claims (Josef Federman para la AP, May 24) que es a su vez refutado por Rebuttal to AP Rebuttal of Netanyahu's Speech (Hillel Fendel, May 26) y criticado y puesto en correlación con otros artículos por Federman "Fact-Checks" Netanyahu, Promotes Hamas (CAMERA, May 29)
Will Netanyahu's speech to Congress save his relationship with Obama or ruin it forever? (Aluf Benn, May 24) - The speech, whose purpose is to curb international pressure on Israel, gives Netanyahu a rare opportunity to reboot his leadership.
Netanyahu to Present Vision for Peace to Congress (Virtual Jerusalem, May 24)
Bibi does not disappoint, rocks the House (Jennifer Rubin, May 24)
Netanyahu Addresses Supportive U.S. Congress (Susan Crabtree, May 24)
Netanyahu's speech to Congress speech shows America will buy anything (Gideon Levy, May 25) - The man who explicitly said he would do his level best to destroy the Oslo Accords suddenly says he's in favor of peace with the Palestinians.
PM: I'll make territorial concessions, but not on J'lem (JPost, May 24) - Señala a Ron Dermer como prnbcipal asesor de Netanyahu en la formulación de su discurso
Netanyahu says Israel willing to make painful compromises for peace offers little concrete (AP at WaPo, May 24)
Netanyahu Gives No Ground in Congress Speech (Helene Cooper y Ethan Bronner, May 24)
Congress Applauds Israeli's Hard Line (Jay Solomon, May 24) - Enthusiastic Response on Capitol Hill for Netanyahu's Tough Stance Further Isolates Obama on Mideast Peace Agenda
Bibi's Speech to Congress and Media Reaction (CAMERA, May 24)
Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress as an old friend (Michael Muskal, May 24) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sounded a 'we stand together' theme multiple times as he was warmly received by Congress. On the thorny issue of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, he says Israel will make some sacrifices but not others.
3 Things for Obama's Opponents to Do Now That Netanyahu Has Created a New Israeli-Palestinian Dynamic (Amb. John Bolton, May 24)
Bibi's talking points (Ben Smith, May 24) - "...talking points the Israeli Embassy is distributing to allies today: Netanyahu's vision of peace:
1) Mutual Recognition of the Jewish state and the Palestinian State
2) A Palestinian state that is independent and viable
3) A Palestinian state that will be fully demilitarized, with an Israeli military presence along the Jordan River.
4) The settlement blocs and areas of critical strategic and national importance will remain a part of Israel.
5) In any peace agreement, some settlements will end up outside Israel's borders.
6) The solution to the Palestinian refugees will be found outside Israel.
7) Jerusalem will remain Israel's united sovereign capital."
Netanyahu Shines in Speech to Congress (Robert Spencer, May 25)
Security Question. Obama vs. Netanyahu: Support Israel's security needs, not its moral claims to West Bank land (William Saletan, May 25)
Netanyahu wasted his chance to present a vision for peace (Haaretz editorial, May 25) - Netanyahu is leading Israel and the Palestinians into a new round of violence, along with Israel's isolation and deep disagreement with the American administration
Bi Bi Pro Americano (video) (Noy Alooshe Remix, May 25)
The Netanyahu-Abbas Exchange That Explains Why There's No Peace, Who's Responsible, and What Obama Doesn't Understand (Barry Rubin, May 25) - En este sencillo artículo, cuyo título lo dice todo, Rubin compara la posición de Netanyahu (los israelíes tenemos derechos, pero los palestinos también) con la contestación anticipada que le había dado Abbas (todos los derechos son nuestros, de los palestinos, vosotros no tenéis ninguno; la historia es nuestra, que vivimos aquí desde hace 7.000 años y venimos de los cananeos, lo cuál es una soberana majadería), esto es aquél acepta dos pueblos para dos estados mientras que éste quiere un solo estado para un solo pueblo, el suyo.
Dim Prospects for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (Bernard Gwertzman entrevista a Steven A. Cook, May 25)
Into Netanyahu’s arms (Dana Milbank, May 25)
Netanyahu chooses to make things worse with Capitol Hill speech (Jeremy Bowen, May 25)
'The smallest minds and cowardliest hearts': Is Congress clapping for apartheid? (Stephen M. Walt, May 25) - que se despacha con esto, ni más ni menos: "All one can say about the vast majority of our courageous elected officials is that they aren't genuine friends of Israel, because every burst of applause was another nail in the coffin of the Zionist dream. "
Israelis See Netanyahu Trip as Diplomatic Failure (Ethan Bronner, May 25) contestado por Israeli People and Experts: We Support Netanyahu and Don’t Want to Return to 1967 Borders. U.S. Media: Israelis Don’t Like Netanyahu and Israeli Experts Say 1967 Borders are OK (Barry Rubin, May 26) y en The Times Gets Israel Wrong Again—And Why It Matters (Evelyn Gordon, May 26) que cita el Haaretz poll: Netanyahu's popularity soaring following Washington trip (Yossi Verter, May 26) - Despite tensions in Washington during PM's visit, Israelis generally don't believe Obama is hostile to Israel or that U.S.-Israel relations have been harmed, indicating that the public seems to be turning a deaf ear to analysts who criticized Netanyahu's address to Congress.
Martin Kramer (May 26) - "Congrats to Bibi! You know you're doing it just right if you've caused media twerp Fareed Zakaria to put a voodoo curse of frustration on you. Bibi is "a man who will be bypassed by history," who "will be remembered only as a person before the person who made peace, a comma in history." So Zakaria sees into the future! The Prophet Zechariah returned! Well, who's to say that comma won't turn out to be... Obama?" Kramer ironiza sobre este artículo: Where Netanyahu fails himself and Israel (Fareed Zakaria, May 26)
Bibi @ Congress; Music Was as Good as Words (Nathan J. Diament, May 25)
The Dreamer Goes Down For The Count (Walter Russell Mead, May 25) - "Netanyahu beat Obama like a red-headed stepchild; he played him like a fiddle; he pounded him like a big brass drum. The Prime Minister of Israel danced rings around his arrogant, professorial opponent. It was like watching the Harlem Globetrotters go up against the junior squad from Miss Porter’s School; like watching Harvard play Texas A&M, like watching Bambi meet Godzilla — or Bill Clinton run against Bob Dole. The Prime Minister mopped the floor with our guy. Obama made his ’67 speech; Bibi ripped him to shreds. Obama goes to AIPAC, nervous, off-balance, backing and filling. Then Bibi drops the C-Bomb, demonstrating to the whole world that the Prime Minister of Israel has substantially more support in both the House and the Senate than the President of the United States."
Ari Shavit frustrated: Netanyahu did not include text from trial balloon in address to Congress (Aaron Lerner, May 26) que contesta a artículo Netanyahu's peace stance is running Israel into a wall (Ari Shavir, May 26) en el que éste decía: "Barak and Meridor must make it clear to the prime minister this week that if an Israeli initiative doesn't materialize pronto, they will quit. Who knows? Perhaps, faced with a real threat, he will finally emerge from his shell." Lerner lo pone en su sitio: "Instead of having to cower and offer a 30 word text to the 'concessions Moleh', Mr. Netanyahu could hold his head high and present Israel's case."
Mr. Prime Minister, you make us proud (Isi Leibler, May 26)
Lessons of Netanyahu's Triumph (Caroline Glick, May 27) - "... Instead of welcoming Netanyahu's unprecedented concessions [outlined in his Herzl Day Speech to Knesset of May 16], Obama dismissed them as insufficient as he blindsided Netanyahu last Thursday with his speech at the State Department. There, just hours before Netanyahu was scheduled to fly off to meet him in the Oval Office, Obama adopted the Palestinian negotiating position by calling for Israel to accept that future negotiations will be based on the indefensible - indeed suicidal - 1949 armistice lines. So, just as he was about to board his plane, Netanyahu realized that his mission in the US capital had changed. His job wasn't to go along to get along. His job was to stop Obama from driving Israel's relations with the US off a cliff. Netanyahu was no longer going to Washington to explain where Israel will stand aside. He was going to Washington to explain what Israel stands for. Obama threw down the gauntlet. Netanyahu needed to pick it up by rallying both the Israeli people to his side and rallying the American people to Israel's side. Both goals, he realized, could only be accomplished by presenting his vision of what Israel is and what it stands for. And Netanyahu did his job. He did his job brilliantly. (...) It seems that everywhere we look we are told that we have no right to exist. From Ramallah to Gaza, to Egypt, to Scotland, Norway, and San Francisco, we are told that we are evil and had better give up the store. And then Obama took to the stage on Thursday and told us that we have to surrender our ability to defend ourselves in order to make room for a Palestinian state run by terrorists committed to our destruction. But then Netanyahu arrived in Washington and said, "Enough already.We've had quite enough of this dangerous nonsense." And we felt things we haven't felt for a long time. We felt empowered. We felt we had a voice. We felt proud. We felt we had a leader. We felt relieved."
Much Ado about Nothing: Fatal Fallacies about “Palestine” (Edward Cline, May 27) - Y en esa línea The “Palestinians” are a recent invention and a myth propagated to demonize Israel (“Jake”, May 28), que comienza recordando: "After the Great War [World War I], the British controlled a chunk of land that they dubbed “the Palestine Mandate.” Even though they promised the Zionists a “national home” for Jews on this land; they soon caved to Arab hysteria and gave the Arabs 80% of the land in 1921 (this is modern-day Jordan)."
Netanyahu was powerful, and misguided (Rami G. Khouri, May 28) - al que Martin Kramer apostilla: "If Rami thinks so, he's truly ignorant of ordinary Americans. They vastly prefer Israel and Bibi to Abbas and Hamas. It’s that simple." Por mi parte... el tal Khouri es uno de esos que para hacer que el mundo sea lo que él dice y quiere en lugar de lo que realmente es llega a afirmar que el Congreso de EEUU está "casi prostituido"... como si uno pudiera ser "casi virgen", una bobería, claro.
The Third Man. Missing from the Bibi vs. Barack drama in Washington was the man who really torpedoed the peace process, Mahmoud Abbas (Elliott Abrams, May 28) - "Mahmoud Abbas is 76 years old and will retire from politics next year, having announced that he will not seek reelection. His tenure as chairman of both the Fatah movement and the PLO (which began when Arafat died in late 2004) has been disastrous, for he lost first the 2006 elections and then control of Gaza to Hamas. A man without charisma or great political courage, he was never a serious candidate to make the difficult compromises that a peace deal with Israel would require and then defend himself against charges of treason and betrayal. To the generous peace offer made by Ehud Olmert in 2008, Abbas responded with silence. It is true that life on the West Bank has improved considerably during his tenure as Palestinian Authority president, but he never cared much about wearing that third hat; he left such mundane matters to PA prime minister Salam Fayyad while he jetted around the world seeking support for the Great Cause. (...) Unwilling to make far-reaching compromises himself, and now convinced Obama would not force deep concessions on the Israelis, Abbas decided to secure his legacy a different way: through a façade of national unity. Sure, he lost the elections to Hamas and they have Gaza, but with this unity deal there would be new elections next year and—on paper, anyway—the split would be over and the Palestinian family together again. And he would deliver more: United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state through a vote to admit it to membership. So Abbas would leave office with honor. To be sure, he would always be a transitional figure between Arafat and whatever came next, and neither peace nor real statehood would be any closer. But in the realm of symbolism and rhetoric where Palestinian political life has always been lived, he could say he had never yielded an inch to the Zionists."
My Word: A hard act to follow (Liat Collins, May 28)
Netanyahu had the courage to stand up to Obama (Moshe Arens, May 31) - Somebody should have told the president that for most Israelis the '1967 lines,' those that Abba Eban in his famous UN speech referred to as the "Auschwitz borders," are like a red rag to a bull.
CNN Poll Shows Highest Support for Israel; Lowest for Palestinians in History (Barry Rubin, June 3)
A Morning-After Tonic for the Middle East (Martin S. Indyk,June 10) - artículo con innumerables 'lugares comunes' (pacíficos palestinos, deslegitimización de Israel, ...). Este es su subtítulo: Now that the dueling speeches have been delivered, with negligible impact on the effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu clearly have a morning-after problem. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does too.
Love, True Love, and Statistics (Elliot Jager, June 14, 2011) - "The depth of sympathy for the Jewish state among ordinary Americans ought to be cause for positive amazement. In stark contrast to strikingly negative European attitudes, a far-reaching CNN poll released on May 31 presents an uplifting picture of American public opinion toward Israel: 65 percent of those surveyed had a generally favorable attitude. Equally heartening is a recent Rasmussen poll, according to which 71 percent of Americans want the Palestinian Arabs to acknowledge Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state."
Labor MK: US Administration officials speak about Netanyahu with genuine hostility (Ynet, June 16) - Senior Democratic Party officials closely associated with US President Barack Obama slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his conduct during his recent trip to Washington, Labor Party Knesset Member Isaac Herzog said Thursday. Herzog, who is currently in the US, says that officials he spoke with told him that the PM left "scorched earth" behind him: "The prime minister's statement following the Obama speech distorted reality and ignored the president's words, Netanyahu's lecture at the White House was good in political terms, yet the style insulted the president and his people." Herzog, who met with Administration officials, politicians, State Department and Pentagon figures, and the heads of Washington research institutes, told Ynet: "I'm discovering here a very disturbing picture in respect to Israel-US ties. The situation at this time is such that Administration officials don't want to hear of Netanyahu and speak about him with genuine hostility."
PM Netanyahu must not prepare policy address in isolation (Dr. Aaron Lerner, 24 March 2011)