Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday sounded optimistic about the chances for peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, ahead of his trip to a peace summit in Washington.
"I am convinced that if the Palestinian leadership approaches these talks with the same degree of seriousness as we will be able to advance toward a stable agreement that will ensure peace and security for both peoples and will contribute to the security and stability of the region." Netanyahu said during the weekly cabinet meeting."
"We insisted that the talks would be held without preconditions, and that's what happened. Our goal is to advance a peace agreement based on the recognition of Israel as the Jewish people's nation state, end the conflict and put an end to the demands from Israel in a bid to form real security arrangements, which would guarantee that the situation in Judea and Samaria won't resemble what happened in Lebanon and Gaza."
The prime minister expressed his hope that "the Palestinian leadership will show the same level of seriousness as we do. If so, we will be able to advance to a stable peace agreement and to stability in the entire region.
"I am aware of the difficulties, I'm not downplaying them, but I know that we will face many obstacles. The question is whether the Palestinians are willing to establish peace for the future generations or just reach a tactical pause. I hope their aspiration for peace is based on recognition and security, stability and economic growth. This is my goal, and I hope it's the Palestinians' goal too."
