German Chancellor: Now's Not the time for a Two-State Solution
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Both in Israel and abroad, a consensus seems to be emerging that a two-state solution to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict won't happen anytime soon.
"Now is not the time for a significant step forward [in the two-state solution]," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters in Berlin Tuesday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin.
Netanyahu, for his part, said Israel is not responsible for the stalemated talks with the Palestinian Authority or with the instability in many Middle Eastern countries.
"We are not the root of the problem in the Middle East," Netanyahu said. "We are part of the solution."
Israel, he said, is a bastion of stability in the region, doing its part to help prevent the proliferation of radical Islamism to the rest of the world.
"We are protecting ourselves, but in so doing, we're defending our common values," he said. "We are the protective wall of Western civilization."
Netanyahu also mentioned the French government's latest initiative for an international conference to address the stalled peace process and its plan to recognize an independent Palestinian state in any case.
In essence, they're saying, "We will hold an international conference, but if you do not succeed we are already predetermining the result – we will recognize a Palestinian state. It does not matter if this state could become another Islamic dictatorship, one of many in the Middle East. There is one way to advance peace: direct negotiations without preconditions between the sides," Netanyahu said.
Even President Barack Obama has been hinting that reaching a deal between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is unlikely before he leaves office.
Meanwhile in Israel, Labor Party chairman and opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog came to the same conclusion, telling participants at the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations Wednesday evening "there is no way we can progress even one iota."
While many still believe an independent Palestinian state is the only viable solution to the conflict, Palestinian Authority officials appear uninterested in moving the process forward, at least for now.
