Скачать или смотреть ISRAEL: NETANYAHU OPPOSED TO WEST BANK CIVILIAN LAW BILL

(6 Jul 1998) English/Nat

An Israeli parliamentary committee has approved a draft bill to extend civilian law to Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he opposes the legislation and it appears unlikely it will pass.

And Netanyahu has again blamed the Palestinians for the deadlocked peace process.

Meeting in the Israeli parliament, or Knesset, the country's Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.

Another parliamentary committee has just approved draft legislation to extend Israeli civilian law to Jewish settlements in Gaza and the West Bank.

Israel's Prime Minister opposes this plan, so it's unlikely to become law.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Benjamin Netanyahu placed the blame for the stalled peace process firmly in the Palestinian camp.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Israel has gone a long way to meet its outstanding obligations by agreeing with the United States almost completely on the redeployments but there has been practically no progress and no agreement on the part of the Palestinians to live up to their obligations -- to collect illegal weapons, to arrest terrorists, to annul their covenant of death, it still spells the destruction of Israel to do all the things they promised to do, once, twice, three times to us and they have never done. Israel is willing to go to an agreement, is close to achieving an agreement as far (as) its own obligations are concerned but requests and demands rightly that the Palestinians live up to their commitments. That is what is holding (up) the process now."
SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

Netanyahu also called on Yasser Arafat to re-educate his youngsters against violence and towards peace with the Israeli people.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"There must be a re-education of the Palestinian public and especially of Palestinian youngsters towards peace with Israel, and that has to change. That has not been changed from day one of the Oslo accords. Day one, year one, year two, year three, through changing governments there has been no change in the Palestinian propaganda of hate; and death, that is not the way to build peace."
SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

But opposition Labour party leader Ehud Barak, said after the meeting that Netanyahu had lost all trust in the eyes of the public and cannot work for the peace process.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Words are the main tool of diplomacy and if words do not contain commitment, responsibility, credibility and the intention behind them (then) the Prime Minister is operating without tools and he is heading towards inevitable failure. He cannot bring peace unless people will begin to trust him."
SUPER CAPTION: Ehud Barak, Israeli opposition leader

The peace process has virtually ground to a halt with both sides blaming each other.

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