Yair Lapid spells out ‘terms’ for ‘separation’ from the Palestinians

Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid, who enters next month’s Israeli election as co-leader of the Blue and White list, spelled out his demands for “separation” from the Palestinians on Wednesday.

According to Haaretz, Lapid made the remarks at an event with an English-speaking audience in Tel Aviv.

After denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lapid was asked to clarify his own position on the Palestinian issue.

Lapid responded by stating “we need to separate from the Palestinians, and we need to do it on four terms that to me are essential.”

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The former TV host said the terms included that “Israeli security should stay in Israeli hands”, thus, Haaretz noted, “enabling the army to enter Palestinian territory if they are aware of terrorists planning an attack on Israelis”.

The second condition “related to the security borders and that Jordan Valley remain in Israeli hands, while the third dealt with the right of return.”

There is no such thing as the right of return

said Lapid.

The final demand is that Jerusalem remain undivided, which he denied “because countries do not divide their own capitals”.

Lapid apparently acknowledged the difficulties these terms could cause in an effort to establish a peace deal with the Palestinians. “It will be a very tough agreement that we are going to reach, and then your [younger] generation will have to take this into something more. But we need to start it,” he said.