In statements that appeared to be in response to recent comments by US President Joe Biden, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that he would not allow his country to “repeat the mistakes of Oslo,” in reference to the Oslo Accords that were signed in 1993 under American sponsorship and allowed for the establishment of the Palestinian Authority.
After Biden hinted on Monday that there were differences with Netanyahu, despite his support for Israel and its war on Hamas, the Israeli Prime Minister admitted that there were differences related to the status of Gaza, after the current war.
Netanyahu said in a statement in Hebrew, quoted by the Times of Israel: “I greatly appreciate American support for the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages.”
He added: “After an extensive dialogue with President Biden (..) we obtained full support for the ground operation, and to reduce international pressure to end the war.”
He continued: “Yes, there is a disagreement when it comes to ‘The Day After Hamas,’ and I hope we will reach an agreement on this as well.” “I want to make my position clear: I will not allow Israel to repeat the Oslo mistake.”
Netanyahu considered that it is not possible, “after the enormous sacrifices made by our citizens and fighters, to allow those who teach terrorism, support terrorism, and finance terrorism into Gaza,” referring to the Palestinian Authority.
He continued: “Gaza will not be Hamastan… nor Fatehistan,” as he put it.
The Arabic-language Israeli Broadcasting Corporation website, “Makan,” quoted Netanyahu as saying on a radio program that Israel is prepared to potentially wage war against the Palestinian Authority forces, against the backdrop of talk about concessions to the Palestinians and dealing with the issue of bringing Palestinian workers to Israel.
During a closed discussion session of the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee in the Knesset, with the participation of the Prime Minister, a number of Knesset members asked Netanyahu to ask about the possibility of a scenario opposite to expectations, in which Palestinian Authority forces fight the Israeli army in the West Bank, within the framework of cooperation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli Prime Minister replied, “A scenario like this is known to us and is on the table. We are discussing it. We want to reach a situation where if something like this happens, within a few minutes there will be helicopters in the air to respond to these developments.”
hard situation
On Monday, the American President hinted at unrest in the relationship between him and the Israeli Prime Minister, noting that Netanyahu is in a “difficult position” and that each of them has had its share of disagreements over the years and at the present time.
Biden, who was speaking at a White House reception marking a Jewish holiday, addressed his decades-long relationship with Netanyahu.
Biden explained, amid intermittent applause from the audience, the majority of whom were Jews, that Israel is in a “difficult situation… I have disagreements with some Israeli leaders.”
But he did not clarify what the differences were between them.
Biden is facing severe criticism for his support of Israel’s response to the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, when gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage, according to Israeli authorities. About 100 hostages have since been released.
The Israeli retaliatory attack killed more than 18,200 people and injured nearly 50,000, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, sparking sharp criticism within the United States.
Biden told Jews celebrating the holidays at the White House that regardless of differences with Israeli leadership, his “commitment” to the Jewish state is “unwavering.”
He said that aid to Israel would continue until Hamas was defeated, but warned that public opinion could undergo a shift that would be dangerous to Israel’s security.
Biden said that the United States will continue to work to free the hostages still being held in Gaza, accelerate the provision of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, and “emphasize to our Israeli friends that we need to protect civilian lives.”
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2023-12-12 17:03:06
