Word: oslo
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...itself, opinion is divided about Israel's new American-style leader. The Clinton Administration is willing to work with him, but without enthusiasm. Neither in his Inaugural Address nor in his new government's policy guidelines did Netanyahu pledge to abide by the Oslo peace accords, and Washington is gloomy about the future of Israeli-Palestinian relations. Since Netanyahu has ruled out returning the occupied Golan Heights, the Administration has abandoned hope of achieving an Israeli-Syrian peace treaty, the holy grail of Warren Christopher's Mideast diplomacy. But if the White House is less than delighted, a Republican leader...
Although the Oslo accords require him to do so, Netanyahu says he will refuse to talk to the Palestinians about the future of Jerusalem. He so vituperatively--and unfairly--accused Peres of threatening to divide Jerusalem that he has cut off any maneuvering room. He also pledges to close down Orient House, the P.L.O. headquarters in East Jerusalem, even though the Labor government gave a written assurance, as a secret adjunct to the first Oslo accord, that the office could continue functioning...
...state of their own. Negotiations will go forward, but all he says he will offer the Palestinians is a "very generous" autonomy deal: freedom to run their own internal affairs, with the exception of foreign policy and overall security. The Palestinians already have that. The principle of the Oslo accords was that the autonomy period would be a five-year transition to greater self-determination. Netanyahu wants to freeze things as they are, though that would squash the most minimal of Palestinian aspirations...
...agrees that he wants to pursue the peace process, but he has different conceptions from those who had prevailed. Hitherto the U.S., Israel and the Arab parties were in agreement that it is necessary to "complete the circle of peace" by bringing in Syria and Lebanon and completing the Oslo accords. Netanyahu's analysis is that the Golan is not so important for Assad; much more important for Assad is establishing good working relations with the U.S. and legitimizing his position in Lebanon. Netanyahu believes the U.S. should tell Assad, "You make peace with Israel, we normalize relations with...
Netanyahu will not repudiate the Oslo accords with the Palestinian Authority, but he will negotiate hard. The Oslo agreements call for final-settlement negotiations to be started by the third year--which means now--and completed by the fifth year. Netanyahu says, "I am under no obligation to close an agreement because it takes two to agree; I am under obligation to negotiate for the next three years in an endeavor to reach an agreement, and my view is yes, autonomy for the Palestinians as a people, but not autonomy over land." On the Palestinian question, Netanyahu is kidding himself...