Netanyahu Stands Strong

“The claim that territorial withdrawals will bring peace with the Palestinians, or at least advance peace, has up till now not stood the test of reality…Territorial withdrawals have not lessened the hatred, and to our regret, Palestinian moderates are not yet ready to say the simple words: Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people…

“The Palestinian leadership must arise and say: ‘Enough of this conflict.  We recognize the right of the Jewish people to a state of their own in this land, and we are prepared to live beside you in true peace.' I am yearning for that moment, for when Palestinian leaders say those words to our people and to their people, then a path will be opened to resolving all the problems between our peoples, no matter how complex they may be…The Palestinian Authority will have to establish the rule of law in Gaza and overcome Hamas.  Israel will not sit at the negotiating table with terrorists who seek their destruction…

“There are those who say that if the Holocaust had not occurred, the State of Israel would never have been established. But I say that if the State of Israel had been established earlier, the Holocaust would not have occurred…

“The settlers are neither the enemies of the people nor the enemies of peace.  Rather they are an integral part of our people, a principled, pioneering and Zionist public.”

—From Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech, June 14, 2009