JERUSALEM — On the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s crucial visit to Washington, his defense minister suggested Saturday the Israeli leader might be ready to endorse a Palestinian state when he meets President Barack Obama on Monday.
That would be a significant shift for Netanyahu, who has made clear in the past that he does not think the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves. But that position has put him at odds with long-standing U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood as the cornerstone of Mideast peace efforts.
And if the Israeli leader does endorse a Palestinian state, experts say he will almost certainly want something in return from Obama — a tougher line on reining in Iran.
It also won’t be easy for his hawkish government to make the leap to sweeping concessions such as freezing Jewish settlement in the West Bank and sharing the holy city of Jerusalem.
by the associated press
That would be a significant shift for Netanyahu, who has made clear in the past that he does not think the Palestinians are ready to rule themselves. But that position has put him at odds with long-standing U.S. policy that supports Palestinian statehood as the cornerstone of Mideast peace efforts.
And if the Israeli leader does endorse a Palestinian state, experts say he will almost certainly want something in return from Obama — a tougher line on reining in Iran.
It also won’t be easy for his hawkish government to make the leap to sweeping concessions such as freezing Jewish settlement in the West Bank and sharing the holy city of Jerusalem.
by the associated press
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