The cabinet decision to scale back the civilian blockade on Gaza while tightening the security blockade enables Israel to focus on real security issues, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday in an address to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Netanyahu attended the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting to explain his decision to lift the "civilian siege" on the Gaza Strip following the international pressure on Israel after the deadly flotilla raid.
"Over time, the effectiveness of the civilian siege has dropped," the prime minister said. "The problems with the civilian blockade grew over time before the government's establishment, and this gave Hamas a PR advantage."
Netanyahu attended the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting to explain his decision to lift the "civilian siege" on the Gaza Strip following the international pressure on Israel after the deadly flotilla raid.
"Over time, the effectiveness of the civilian siege has dropped," the prime minister said. "The problems with the civilian blockade grew over time before the government's establishment, and this gave Hamas a PR advantage."
He stressed that he had asked to examine ways to ease the civilian siege as early as June 9, "in order to strengthen the security blockade and the international support for it."
Netanyahu noted that "this is the best decision for Israel, as it drops Hamas' main propagandist claim and allows us and our friends in the world to focus on our real needs in the security area.
"Iran is trying to hold on tight to Israel with Hezbollah in the north and Hamas in the south, and it's our right to prevent them from arming. The cabinet's decision focuses on this exact thing, on tightening the security siege."
The prime minister told the committee members that the decision to allow the inflow of goods into Gaza was coordinated with the United States, with Quartet envoy Tony Blair and "with leaders of other countries I have spoken to in the past few days".
Moving on to the change in the Turkish stand towards Israel, Netanyahu said that Ankara was "beginning to pay the price in the international arena."
According to the prime minister, "There is a big change: Turkey's move since the rise to power of the current party. They are making changes in the international regime compared to what they had there 100 years ago. This change moves the internal situation in Turkey backwards.
"The moment Turkey realized that it would not be entering Europe, it moved to lead the Islamic world, and this is creating a very negative attitude towards Israel."
Addressing Israel's neighbors, Netanyahu said, "My government views Egypt as a source of regional stability. Syria is undergoing a process of becoming stronger with weapons and missiles. It's waiting together with Iran and Turkey for an American decision about Iraq. Anyone in the pragmatic camp understands that the upcoming changes are not in our favor. It also weakens the Palestinian Authority."
As for the negotiations with the Palestinians, Netanyahu said: "We must enter immediate talks. The Palestinians thought they could barricade themselves in failing t o enter negotiations, which led to indirect talks. We believe we must move to indirect talks.
"One of the main problems will be the outside envelope. In every agreement we must consider the security-related ramifications. What happens the moment we come out? In Gaza we left unilaterally, the PA collapsed and we got Hamas.
"We must guarantee that there won't be an entry of weapons and missiles which will turn into a strategic threat on the State of Israel… We are facing difficult days not just because of the flotillas, but also in the face of the big challenges.
The prime minister also referred to his scheduled meeting at the White House next month. "I will soon meet with Obama and try to advance the direct negotiations. I will also meet other leaders."
