Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to leaked documents purporting to show his intention to negotiate Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem by saying on Sunday that “In the situation created in the Middle East, any territory that will be evacuated will be taken over by radical Islam and terrorist organizations supported by Iran. Therefore, there will not be any withdrawals or concessions. The matter is simply irrelevant.” The statement, which analysts say appears to close the door on a two-state solution as long as Netanyahu is leading the government in Israel, was accompanied by strong defenses of Netanyahu’s record of support for West Bank communities from several of his Likud colleagues. In related news, the platform of the Zionist Union faction which is Likud’s major competition in the upcoming elections released its platform Sunday, including a plan to establish a Palestinian State. Read More
