Netanyahu Ready To Resume Direct Peace Talks With Palestinians

Netanyahu argued, “Perhaps you can understand why Israel is not joining you in celebrating this deal”.

“It’s not easy for Israel to oppose something embraced by the greatest powers in the world”. “As the prime minister of the Jewish state, I refuse to be silent”.

“Throughout history, the Jewish people have learned the heavy price of silence”, he continued.

Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas told the Assembly yesterday that Israel’s refusal to release prisoners and stop settlement activity, meant that Palestinians could not be bound by past agreements.

“The Israeli government has said it is willing to sit down with Abbas without preconditions”.

Israel will not allow Iran to “walk in, sneak in or break into the nuclear club”, said Netanyahu, adding that no one should question Israel’s determination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

The Israeli prime minister renewed his accusations that Iran’s leaders seek the destruction ofIsrael.

Netanyahu drew the comparison at the start of a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

It was Netanyahu’s first major address since the Iran deal survived Congress, according to the Jerusalem Post.

“I repeat: Iran’s been doing all of this, everything that I’ve just described, just in the last six months, when it was trying to convince the world to remove the sanctions”.

But Netanyahu also cautioned that the history of engaging Palestinians in peacemaking has been disappointing. “Here’s my message to Iran: Your plan to destroy Israel will fail”. “I’m gravely concerned the nuclear deal with Iran will prove to be the marriage certificate of that unholy union”.

Netanyahu said that the nuclear deal, which gives Iran access to roughly $100 million in previously frozen assets, among other concessions, will pave the path to an Iranian nuclear bomb even if it continues its campaign of destabilizing violence in the Middle East.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) twice tried to get President Barack Obama to announce that the United States would veto any United Nations resolutions calling for an independent Palestinian state. Netanyahu emphasized that “Israel will do whatever it must do to defend our state and defend our people”.