Netanyahu explains his speech: Palestinians must recognize Israel as the national state of the Jewish people

After nearly missing this Sunday’s regular meeting of the Israeli cabinet, reportedly because of something in his eye (which was treated). Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed up, and, according to a Cabinet communiqué, Netanyahu elaborated on his speech at Bar-Ilan University last Sunday.

According to the communiqué. Netanyahu said that “… The items that I presented are not conditions for the start of negotiations. We do not condition the start of negotiations on any conditions; on the contrary, we insist that there be no pre-conditions either by our side or by the other side …

“The two main points that I sought to emphasize were: First of all, that we are talking about two states for two peoples and one of these is the Jewish People, and the Jewish People are entitled to a national state of their own. Of course, there are non-Jews in it and they enjoy full civil rights but the state is a state of the Jewish people, with the symbols, language and holidays of the Jewish people, and with the ability of every Jew to immigrate here and become a citizen, what is incorrect regarding the so-called ‘right of return.’ This will not be implemented in the State of Israel.

“It was important to me to emphasize that the Palestinian side must recognize Israel as the national state of the Jewish People just as we are being asked to recognize the Palestinian state as the national state of the Palestinian people. Moreover, a peace agreement must put an end to their claims in this regard and to all claims, and put an end to the conflict.

According to the Cabinet communique, Netanyahu continued:
…
“The second issue, of course, is demilitarization because security will not be achieved except by demilitarization and demilitarization does not detract from the Palestinian self-determination. I do not understand why, for the purpose of Palestinian self-determination, they need Kassams and GRAD missiles. I can understand that they need a strong police force and security services; we are encouraging this but they do not need tanks, artillery or missiles. But we, on the basis of our experience and what has happened in the places we evacuated, are entitled – more than any other country in the world – to demand that the Palestinian state be a demilitarized state.

“Therefore, on these principles – recognition of Israel as the national state of the Jewish People and an end to claims, and the clear demand that the international community guarantee effective demilitarization measures – I think that we have thereby covered the areas of a very broad consensus among the Israeli public. They could have been concealed; they could have been unclear. I think that what was done sharpened the foundations of the national consensus that is necessary to achieve peace”

Netanyahu will be travelling to Europe this week, and meeting Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and French President Nicolas Sarkozy — and will also meet with George Mitchell in Paris.