Netanyahu: Arab Peace Initiative is outdated

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Arab Peace Initiative proposed in 2002 as irrelevant and outdated after the dramatic changes in the Middle East, Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post reported on today.

When asked about the initiative, he said: “The question is not the Saudi peace initiative. If you read it carefully, you will see it was set up in another period.”

He said it was proposed “before the rise of Hamas; before Hamas took over Gaza; before ISIS took over chunks of Syria and Iraq, effectively dismantling those countries; before Iran’s accelerated nuclear program; before the takeover of Syria by Al-Qaeda on the Golan Heights.”

Regarding the current situation, he said: “I think there is a new recognition among major countries in the Middle East that Israel is not their mortal enemy, to say the least, but a potential ally in addressing the common challenges.”

Based on this change, the prime minister said that a better peace proposal would be more real. “And whether we can translate that recognition of a political horizon into a peace proposal – a realistic peace proposal – is something worth exploring. But I do not think more can be said at this point.”

When asked whether he would accept building a seaport in Gaza, Netanyahu said: “That is not an issue. The real issue is whether we can ensure Israel’s vital security interests, and enable the reconstruction of Gaza and humanitarian assistance under our security requirements.”

He said this would be the core of the upcoming discussion of the indirect ceasefire talks with the Palestinians. “That, I think, will be the focus of what will be discussed, and certainly the focus of our current policies.”