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White House will re-examine policy towards Israel even if Netanyahu apologises

March 24, 2015 at 11:11 am

White House spokesman Josh Ernest said that the US administration will continue to reconsider its policy towards Israel, “even if Benjamin Netanyahu apologises for his remarks.”

Responding to Netanyahu’s statements made on the day of the Israeli general election, Ernest said that even if he retracts his comments about his commitment not to establish a Palestinian state if he becomes prime minister again, or if he apologises for his remarks directed at Israel’s Arab citizens, “We will continue our assessment of the US policy toward Israel and the bilateral relations between the countries with regard to all that is related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu did indeed apologise to Israel’s 1.7 million Arab citizens on Monday for comments described by opponents and critics as “racist”. In a video clip published on his official Facebook page, Netanyahu told the Israeli Arab supporters of his right-wing Likud Party, “I know that the things that I said a few days ago insulted the Arabs of Israel. That was not my intention and I apologise for that.”

Fearing a low turnout of his supporters at polling stations, Netanyahu had accused left-wing NGOs of mobilising the Israeli Arabs to vote in large numbers to tilt the balance against him.

The Joint Arab list in the Knesset announced its rejection of the “apology” expressed by Netanyahu for inciting against Arab citizens. “It’s just a hollow step that aims to legitimise his racist rule,” a group statement said. “Netanyahu’s racism did not begin and will not end at the provocative statement he made on the day of elections. Exclusionary and racist legislation represents Netanyahu’s political programme for the next term.”

The Joint List added that it “will continue the struggle against racism and in support of a complete, national and civil, equality, for the Arab masses” within the state of Israel.