(ABCnews).In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Jake Tapper on 'This Week', White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said this is the “moment of opportunity” to make peace in the Middle East. He also announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be visiting the White House on July 6th and said Netanyahu is the kind of leader who is willing to take big risks to make peace.
“The President has offered the date of July 6 where the Prime Minister, Netanyahu, will be coming back to the White House for a rescheduled [visit],” Emanuel said. “That will be the fifth visit by the prime minister to the White House…to work on a series of issues that are from the peace process to the security of the State of Israel, to also dealing with other issues in and around the region.”
Asked by Tapper whether Netanyahu was “the kind of leader who is willing to take big risks to make peace,” Emanuel was straight forward.
“Yes,” he said. “But it’s not important what Rahm believes. I mean he has been clear about what he intends to do, what he needs to do. And the President has been clear what we need to do to seize this moment of opportunity here in the region to finally make peace,” Emanuel said.
“Peace where Israel feels secure and peace that is in balance with the Palestinians aspirations for sovereignty. That is possible,” he said. “It is now the time, given where we are, to basically find that proper balance.”
“The President has offered the date of July 6 where the Prime Minister, Netanyahu, will be coming back to the White House for a rescheduled [visit],” Emanuel said. “That will be the fifth visit by the prime minister to the White House…to work on a series of issues that are from the peace process to the security of the State of Israel, to also dealing with other issues in and around the region.”
Asked by Tapper whether Netanyahu was “the kind of leader who is willing to take big risks to make peace,” Emanuel was straight forward.
“Yes,” he said. “But it’s not important what Rahm believes. I mean he has been clear about what he intends to do, what he needs to do. And the President has been clear what we need to do to seize this moment of opportunity here in the region to finally make peace,” Emanuel said.
“Peace where Israel feels secure and peace that is in balance with the Palestinians aspirations for sovereignty. That is possible,” he said. “It is now the time, given where we are, to basically find that proper balance.”