CNN
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tupper on Tuesday that people could be “stuck” in peace talks with the Palestinians and said he had chosen a different approach.
“I believe that once the Arab-Israeli conflict is practically over, we will return to the Palestinian side and make a workable peace with the Palestinian side,” he said.
Asked by Tupper about the Biden administration’s concerns that settlements in the occupied West Bank could exacerbate tensions, Netanyahu said Trump-era Abraham, who has normalized relations between Israel and several Arab countries He pointed out the success of the agreement.
“I went around them[the Palestinians]and went directly to the Arab countries and built a new concept of peace…I made four historic peace agreements, the Abraham Accords. Twice as many peace deals as all my predecessors, years combined.
His comments come at a tense moment for Israel. Palestinians and Israelis have been in a lot of bloodshed this past week, raising fears that the situation may spiral out of control. Last Thursday was the deadliest day for a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank in almost two years, with a shooting near a synagogue in Jerusalem on Friday night. .
The Biden administration has advocated a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but there has been little movement toward that goal and little active engagement by Netanyahu and Palestinian leaders.
Analysts say the Abraham Accords have done little to ease Israel’s position on Palestinians. answered. But there is no power that can threaten (us), and this means that Israel should assume the overriding security responsibility. ”
Secretary of State Anthony Brinken’s visit to Israel and the West Bank this week is expected to ease escalating tensions.
But when it comes to Israeli settlements, both administrations appear to be on opposite sides of the coin. Netanyahu pledged this week that Israel would “strengthen” settlements in response to a shooting attack in Jerusalem, but Blinken warned on Tuesday.
Tupper puts pressure on Netanyahu with proposal to change justice system
When asked about US concerns that the expansion of Israeli settlements into Palestinian lands could hinder peace prospects, Netanyahu said:
Biden and Netanyahu have a complicated relationship, especially over Iran. Netanyahu clashed with former US President Barack Obama over negotiations with the Palestinians, then openly again over the Iran nuclear deal, which Biden wants to renegotiate.
Explaining his position on Iran to Tapper, Netanyahu said, “If you have a rogue regime[that is trying to get]nuclear weapons, you can sign a 100 deal with them, but it won’t help.”
“I think the only way we can stop or refrain from possessing nuclear weapons is through a combination of devastating economic sanctions, but most importantly a credible military threat,” he said.
Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only and has formally halted its weapons program, but US officials say Iran’s uranium enrichment activities have been on the rise since former President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal. Last week, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that Tehran had amassed enough supplies for “several nuclear weapons”, arguing that its He urged the resumption of diplomatic efforts to prevent such a scenario.
Another point of contention among US allies is Israel’s ambivalent stance on Ukraine. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel has struck a diplomatic balance in its relations with Moscow.
Although Israel has officially condemned the aggression and regularly sends aid to Ukraine, Israel has yet to send weapons to Ukrainians, and criticism of Russia has been criticized for being less forceful.
Israel doesn’t want to upset Russia when the Israeli Air Force tries to strike targets across the Syrian border. Israel has launched hundreds of strikes against its neighbor in recent years, primarily aimed at interfering with Iran’s supply of precision-guided missile technology to Hezbollah.
Netanyahu referred to this complex scenario to Tupper, adding that Israel was “taking action against certain weapons development” in Iran. But he declined to confirm or deny whether Israel was behind the drone attack on a military factory in the Iranian capital of Isfahan over the weekend.
“I never talk about specific operations … and every time there is an explosion in the Middle East, Israel is blamed or blamed – sometimes we are not.”
Extensive interviews touched on concerns about Netanyahu’s cabinet. the most right-wing and religious in the country’s historyalready facing internal tensions and widespread public outcry.
Netanyahu’s coalition relies on the support of many nationalist politicians once marginalized in Israeli politics.
Netanyahu is inflammatory rhetoric And the actions of the members who say, “I’m holding the steering wheel with both hands.”
Forced some of these extreme statements – including reporting Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich Describing himself as a “fascist homophobe,” Netanyahu said: They have a certain temper when they are in power. And that is certainly the case here. ”
Netanyahu accused critics of being hypocritical and not having a similar lens on his predecessor, adding: that. ”
The six-time prime minister has also dismissed criticism of the government’s push for judicial reform. This would give Congress (and thus the political parties in power) the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions, appoint judges, and remove legal advisers from ministries. It is binding.
This dismissed key ally Arie Deli from his ministerial post after the High Court ruled that appointing Shas to government posts was unreasonable due to his criminal convictions. After being forced to
Netanyahu told Tupper he believed the change would “make democracy stronger.”
Demonstrations against judicial reform continue in his country, tens of thousands The number of Israelis who took to the streets in January.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, remains indicted in three separate cases. Long Corruption Trials It has bothered him politically. He has repeatedly denied all accusations, calling the trial a “witch hunt.”
When asked if there was any truth to the allegations that Netanyahu was trying to override the judiciary for his own benefit, he said, “It’s wrong. It has nothing to do with.”
