June 14
By Aaron Klein
 Ahmed Yousef |
In a WND interview today, the Hamas terrorist organization claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a "war criminal" and denounced the Israeli leader's major address today as contradicting the policies of President Obama.
"Netanyahu is a war criminal," said Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"I don't think any Palestinians trust him in anything he says. From the day when he first came to power in the 1990's, he's been saying the same thing - no Palestinian state," said Yousef, speaking to WND from Gaza.
"It is clear Netanyahu will continue the Israeli expansionist policy," said Yousef, responding to a section of Netanyahu's speech in which he said Israel will continue the "natural growth" of Jewish communities in the West Bank.
Continued Yousef: "All this doesn't comply with what Obama suggested, which is to lay the foundations for a settlement to the Palestinian question. ... All the things Netanyahu said are contrary to what Obama actually said in the speech in Cairo."
In a speech branded as a response to Obama's Mideast policies, Netanyahu today called for the "immediate" resumption of "peace talks" with the Palestinians. The Israeli leader said he would support a demilitarized Palestinian state if the Palestinians meet certain conditions, such as first combating terror and recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.
Netanyahu's remarks were a departure from recent statements in which he refused to tacitly endorse a Palestinian state.
"To achieve peace, courage and honesty are necessary from both sides," Netanyahu said. "The Palestinians must say, 'Enough with this conflict. We recognize Israel's right to exist and want to live by their side."
He continued, "A public Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish nation-state is a prerequisite for regional peace."
 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu |
"For peace," Netanyahu said, "we must ensure that Palestinians have no weapons and the opportunity to create pacts with hostile forces. We ask that the U.S. commit that in the end-deal the Palestinian territory will be demilitarized. Without that, sooner or later, we will have another 'Hamastan.' And Israel can't agree to that."
Netanyahu continued, "If we receive a commitment to Palestinian recognition of Israel as the Jewish state and a demilitarized Palestinian state, we can reach a final agreement."
Netanyahu said Jerusalem would remain the united capital of Israel – a nonstarter for the Palestinians. He also ruled out the option of granting so-called Palestinian refugees the right to settle within Israeli borders.
In a section of his speech that likely did not sit well with Hamas' Yousef, Netanyahu said that Israel would not negotiate with terrorists who wish to destroy it and said that Palestinians must choose between path of peace and Hamas.
Addressing the issue of Jewish communities in the strategic, biblical West Bank, Netanyahu stated, "In the interim there is no intention to create new settlements or expand existing towns, while not preventing the natural needs of settlers, who are not enemies."
Netanyahu was alluding to continuing "natural growth," or adding housing units to settlements to accommodate for the existing settlement population. He is openly defying the Obama administration's strong call for an end to all settlement activity, including natural growth.
There were several aspects to Netanayhu's speech that were direct responses to Obama's address to the Muslim world in Cairo two weeks ago.
During his address, Obama pointed to Israeli West Bank settlements as specifically undermining "efforts to achieve peace."
Netanyahu today stated, "Let me use the most simple words – the root of the struggle is the refusal to recognize Israel as the Jewish state. The initial Arab refusal was to a Jewish state in any location, before Israeli presence in the West Bank."
"The closer we get to an agreement with the Palestinians, the further it is rejected," Netanyahu continued. "We tried a withdrawal with an agreement, without one, a partial withdraw and we offered a near-complete withdraw. We uprooted Jewish settlers from their homes, and received a barrage of missiles in return."
Also in his address, Obama indicated Israel's creation was a response to "anti-Semitism in Europe, culminat[ing] in an unprecedented Holocaust."
Netanyahu pointed out the Jewish people have been linked to the land of Israel for over 3,000 years.
Obama today welcomed Netanyahu's endorsement of a Palestinian state.
"The President welcomes the important step forward in Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech. The President is committed to two states, a Jewish state of Israel and an independent Palestine, in the historic homeland of both peoples," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
"[Obama] believes this solution can and must ensure both Israel's security and the fulfillment of the Palestinians' legitimate aspirations for a viable state, and he welcomes Prime Minister Netanyahu's endorsement of that goal," said Gibbs.
Source: WorldNetDaily
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