Middle East

Israel's new PM Netanyahu pledges final accord with Palestinians

Article published on the 2009-04-01 Latest update 2009-04-02 15:04 TU

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) , President Shimon Peres (C) and outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at the handover ceremony in Jerusalem April 1, 2009.
(Photo: Reuters)

In Israel Benjamin Netanyahu started his second term as Prime Minister on Wednesday at the head of a right-wing government. Speaking at his inauguration, Netanyahu spoke of a possible nuclear threat from neighbouring countries but made no state of a state for the Palestinians.

Netanyahu was charged with forming a new government in Israel on 10 February and has since built one of the country's largest cabinets in history. The broad-based coalition is staunchly right-wing, with some of its members hostile to a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu, who also served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999, is leading a coalition that includes his right-wing Likud party, the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, ultra-Orthodox Shas and a small religious faction, as well as the centre-left Labour Party.

"A difficult task lies ahead of us and we must start working immediately," Netanyahu said at a change-of-power ceremony.

In his inaugural address on Tuesday he told MPs that Israel's biggest threat  was the possibility of "a radical regime armed with nuclear weapons" - a reference to Iran.

He added that he would pursue a "final accord" with Palestinians but made no mention of a possible Palestinian state.

"Under the final accord, the Palestinians will have all the rights to govern themselves except those that can put in danger the security and existence of the state of Israel," he said.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, wary of Netanyahu's motives, said the new prime minister "does not believe in peace" and has ask the international community to put pressure on Israel.

"Benjamin Netanyahu never believed in a two-state solution or accepted signed agreements and does not want to stop settlement activity. This is obvious," Abbas told the official Palestinian news
agency.

 "We have to tell the world that this man does not believe in peace, so how should we deal with him? Let's put the ball in the world's court so that it puts pressure on him and assumes its responsibilities."

But Netanyahu has put the perceived threat from Iran as a priority over finding a solution with Iran.

"It is shameful that decades after the Holocaust, calls by Iranian leaders to destroy Israel are greeted with indifference by the world," he told MPs. "Contrary to what happened during the last century, today we have the means to defend ourselves."

Last week the European Union said there would be "consequences" if Israel did not commit itself to a two-state solution.