Netanyahu’s ‘real test’ for 2-state deal: Palestinian acceptance of Israeli security control
Netanyahu, who later met with members of Congress, said Israel must be able to defend itself, by itself. This includes threats from any territory Israel relinquishes, including hundreds of miles of borders subject to potential tunneling.
Palestinians oppose this demand because they see it as blocking a “fully sovereign” Palestinian state, he said at the Center for American Progress think tank in Washington. But he cited World War II losers, Germany and Japan, and South Korea, as countries that prospered under foreign security control.
He didn’t say if Israel could eventually relinquish security control west of the Jordan River — part of past U.S. peace plans.
After an hourlong meeting with senators, Sen. Dick Durbin said Netanyahu planned to meet on Wednesday with Secretary of State Kerry and that the peace effort would be on their agenda.
U.S.-Israel relations were seriously strained by the nuclear deal that the U.S. and its partners signed with Iran, which will receive relief from sanctions in exchange for curtailing its nuclear program.
“We didn’t dwell on the Iran nuclear agreement. Talked about it. But didn’t dwell on it,” said Durbin, D-Ill. “This was an important step back into a bipartisan relationship.”
“We have to have more dialogue and more understanding as to the current security challenges facing Israel. … As important as I believe the Iran nuclear agreement was, it doesn’t make Israel a safe nation. It is still in danger,” Durbin said.