MEMRI Special Dispatch | No. 2406 | June 16, 2009
Palestinians
Palestinian Reactions to Netanyahu's Speech: 'Akin to a Declaration of War';
'Netanyahu is a Liar and a Crook'; 'The Speech is Worthless and Warrants a
Determined Response'; 'Not In a Thousand Years... Would [He] Find a Single
Palestinian' to Agree to His Conditions

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's June 14, 2009 speech was met with
hostility by all Palestinian factions. The Palestinians called Netanyahu "a
liar and a crook," stated that the only purpose of his "hollow" speech was
to placate U.S. President Barack Obama, and claimed that he was effectively
ruining the chances for peace. Senior Palestinian Authority officials called
on the U.S. to force Israel to implement the two-state solution, and on the
PA to toughen its positions. Hamas called on PA to stop security
coordination and to reassess their position on negotiations with Israel.

Following are excerpts from reactions in the PA press to the speech:

PA: Netanyahu's Speech Has Ruined the Chance for Peace
Palestinian Authority negotiations department head Saeb 'Ariqat stated: "The
peace process can be compared to a turtle, and now that Netanyahu has turned
it over, it's lying on its back. Not in a thousand years will Netanyahu find
a single Palestinian who would agree to the conditions stipulated in his
speech. The speech is a unilateral declaration ending the political
negotiations on permanent status issues."(1)

Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for the Palestinian Authority president,
stated: "The speech has destroyed all peace initiatives and [chances for] a
solution." He called on the U.S. administration to fulfill its
responsibility in this respect, and added that "Netanyahu's failure to
recognize the Arab Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state and his
attempt to impose a solution to the Palestinian problem outside Israel will
not lead to a just and comprehensive peace, as prescribed by the U.N.
resolutions."(2)

PLO Executive Committee Secretary Yasser 'Abd Rabbo stated: "Netanyahu's
speech was hollow, and it ruined the chances to advance toward a balanced
settlement. The speech is worthless and warrants a determined response.
Netanyahu is a liar and a crook; he is looking for ploys to disrupt the
peace endeavor."(3)

Some PA officials appealed to the U.S. to put pressure on Israel. Thus,
Palestinian Ambassador to Egypt Nabil 'Amro stated: "Netanyahu's speech is
nothing but a hoax [to deceive] America; it does not constitute a positive
step towards peace. Netanyahu's speech is not an initiative, but a poor show
presenting a political stance adopted for no other reason than to appease
Obama." 'Amro called on Obama to force Netanyahu to accept the peace process
and the American position on the two state solution.(4)

The editor of the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Hafez Al-Barghuthi, wrote:
"Binyamin Netanyahu said nothing new in his speech; rather, he reiterated
[his] pre-election positions, and spat in the face of all those who counted
on Obama's magic wand to swallow the serpents of the settlements and to make
Netanyahu change his skin and recognize the two-state [solution]. The
Palestinian side is not ready to form a state, no matter how small, since
Obama has not demanded that the Palestinians unite their ranks and eliminate
the rift between Fatah and Hamas."(5)

If Israel Does Not Grant the Palestinian Refugees the Right of Return, PA
Will Sign Only a Hudna Truce
Senior Fatah official Bilal Al-Hassan contended that the Palestinians must
set forth the following demands: full Israeli withdrawal from the
territories occupied in 1967; the dismantling of all settlements, including
construction in East Jerusalem; the establishment of a fully sovereign
Palestinian state; rejection of the idea of exchanging territories; the
payment of damages to West Bank and Gaza residents for all the destruction
caused by the occupation; and a solution to the right of return problem
based on U.N. Resolution No. 194. In addition, should Israel not agree to
the return of the Palestinian refugees, only a hudna truce and an agreement
on reversing the consequences of 1967 war will be signed - but not a
Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement.(6)

Talal 'Ukal, Palestinian political analyst and columnist for the PA daily
Al-Ayyam, stated that in his view, the Palestinians should intensify
pressure on Israel by accusing it of war crimes as well as assign greater
importance to Europe's attempts to establish an international front opposing
settlements. He said that they must demand not only a stop to the building
of settlements, but that they be considered an aggressive, illegitimate, and
illegal element. 'Ukal also called for the elimination of the rift between
the Palestinians.(7)

Hamas: Demand to Recognize a Jewish State - A Racist Position
Hamas issued an announcement, stating: "Netanyahu is offering the
Palestinians a state without identity, sovereignty, army, or weapons;
without Jerusalem or the right of return. And at the same time, it insists
on leaving the settlements in place. He is offering an economic peace in
return for normalization and recognition of the Zionist entity. Netanyahu
tried to use some misleading expressions [to describe] his quest for peace
and his racist position - especially [regarding his demand] that the
Palestinians recognize the Palestinian land as a Jewish country, as well as
his dismissal of the right of return and the Palestinians' right to
Jerusalem. These positions reveal the falsehood of his peace advocacy. The
declarations and positions expressed in this speech have increased the
hatred and enmity towards this enemy.

"Netanyahu's racist speech is a message to all those betting on a settlement
to immediately stop longing for this mirage. Hamas is calling on the Arab
countries to stop marketing normalization or negotiation plans vis-à-vis the
occupation. Hamas's announcement has also called on the PA to stop providing
the [Zionist] entity with free security services, as well as to reassess its
position and to again embrace Palestinian unity, in light of Netanyahu's
clear declaration that he would not give the PA anything of substance. Hamas
elaborated that [Netanyahu's] statements would only make the Palestinian
people more steadfast on its position, Jerusalem, the right of return, and
the refusal to recognize this racist occupation."(8)

Senior Hamas Official: Netanyahu's Speech Proves that Resistance Is the Only
Way to Attain Rights
Hamas official Dr. Ahmad Bahr, who is acting speaker of the Palestinian
Legislative Council, stated: "[Netanyahu's] racist speech rests on denying
the [existence of] the Palestinian people and on disregarding their
suffering, and [affirms] that a racist entity [exists] on Palestinian soil.
It is an arrogant Zionist speech, rife with threats and condescension
towards the Palestinians as well as towards the Arab and Muslim peoples.

"This speech by the criminal Netanyahu showed that some are [still] enticed
by his imaginary peace and by his failing plans, while others still harbor
hopes of pleasing the Zionists and the Americans. This speech proves that
resistance is the only way for the Palestinian people to attain its
legitimate rights - and mainly the right to liberate its country, to
establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its eternal capital, and to
bring a million Palestinians back home, whence they were expelled by Zionist
terrorist gangs."(9)

Islamic Jihad: The Arab Initiative Must Be Revoked
The Islamic Jihad spokesman stated: "Netanyahu's speech was deceptive
through and through - it clearly disregarded the rights of the Palestinians.
Netanyahu's speech has proven that the wave of extremism has engulfed the
state of the Zionist entity, and that therefore it is impossible to achieve
a peace agreement with this state. The Arab League must declare the Arab
peace initiative revoked, and stop betting on a settlement, because
Netanyahu's speech was an answer to this initiative.

"The Palestinians must unite their ranks, as should the Arabs and the
Muslims, in order to stand up to radicalization that has taken hold of
Israel on all levels.

"It is impossible to come to terms with the occupation, even of one inch of
the Palestinian soil. The conflict will continue until the occupation of
Palestine ends."(10)

PFLP: Netanyahu's Speech "Akin To a Declaration of War"
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called Netanyahu's speech
"akin to a declaration of war and an insult to the international community."
It was further stated: "The peace that Netanyahu offered to the Palestinians
and the Arabs is a peace of serfdom, with the Palestinian state as an
Israeli reservation, and the PA a civilian administration of its residents,
who would be dependent on the occupation's munificence, and on its security
and economic sovereignty. Netanyahu's call for security, economic activity,
meetings with Arab leaders, and negotiations with the Palestinians - while
Israel continues acting against the Palestinians - is a mockery of the Arab
leaders and the Arab peace initiative."

The PFLP also called on the Arab League to reassess the feasibility of peace
and negotiations.(11)

Endnotes:
(1) Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestinian Authority), June 15, 2009.
(2) Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), June 15, 2009.
(3) www.palvoice.com, June 15, 2009.
(4) Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (PA), June 15, 2009.
(5) Al-Quds (Jerusalem), June 15, 2009.
(6) Al-Quds (Jerusalem), June 15, 2009.
(7) Al-Ayyam (PA), June 15, 2009.
(8) www.palestine-info.info, June 14, 2009.
(9) www.palestine-info.info, June 14, 2009.
(10) www.paltoday.com, June 14, 2009.
(11) www.maannews.net, June 14, 2009.

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