Israel to be generous in Palestine deal: Netanyahu
May 25th, 2011 - 8:28 am ICT by IANS
Washington, May 25 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the US Congress that his country would be generous with the size of a future Palestinian state, and was “willing to make painful compromises” to achieve peace.
However, he refused to restore the border at pre-1967 lines.
“Israel will be generous on the size of the Palestinian state, but will be very firm on where we put the border with it. This is an important principle,” Netanyahu told Congress, BBC reported.
A Palestinian official said the Israeli PM had added more obstacles to a deal.
Last Friday, Netanyahu had rejected US President Barack Obama’s call for a peace deal with the Palestinians based on pre-1967 borders, plus land swaps.
In a landmark speech to the State Department last Thursday, Obama said the peace negotiations should result in “a viable Palestine, and a secure Israel”.
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