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Jerusalem (AFP) March 8, 2011 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Tuesday that Israeli troops would remain on the border between Jordan and the West Bank under any future peace deal with the Palestinians. Speaking to reporters as he toured Israeli military facilities along the Jordan river, Netanyahu said only Israeli troops would be able stop militants and rockets from infiltrating into the West Bank. "Our security border is here on the Jordan and our defence line begins here. If that line is breached they will be able to infiltrate terrorists, rockets and missiles all the way to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheva and the whole state," Netanyahu said. Netanyahu has repeatedly said he fears that the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Jordan valley would see a repeat of the situation where Israel pulled out from southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, only to come under rocket attack from these area. "So in any future situation and in any future agreement, the IDF (army) will have to be deployed along the Jordan. That is the insurance policy of the state of Israel," he said. Netanyahu said strong security measures were vital to ensure a peace agreement, particularly given the turmoil and uncertainty in the region, which he termed "a political and security earthquake." "In this situation we have to ensure, even more than usual, that we have solid security foundations to defend the state of Israel." The Palestinians have expressed fierce opposition to having any Israeli troops remain on any land that is part of a future Palestinian state. His remarks came just days after Israeli press reports suggested Netanyahu was planning a new political initiative which would see the establishment of a Palestinian state in temporary borders as a way to restart stalled peace talks. Talks broke down just weeks after resuming on September 2 when Israel refused to renew a partial freeze on settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians refuse to negotiate while Israel builds on land it wants for a future state.
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![]() ![]() Jerusalem (AFP) March 7, 2011 Top Israeli ministers on Monday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to swiftly make public details of his new diplomatic initiative in a bid to end the Jewish state's increasing isolation. Over the past week, the Israeli press has been filled with reports about Netanyahu's new plan to establish a Palestinian state within provisional borders as part of "a long-term interim agreement" - d ... read more |
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