Back on offense, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized President Shimon Peres on Tuesday, after the President called him to renew peace negotiations with Abbas.
"Contrary to voices I'm hearing over the last few days, urging me to
rush forward, to give up, to withdraw, I think that in a political
process one should act responsibly and not in a rush, with a realistic
approach and not a hasty one," Netanyahu said during a bible study group at the prime
minister's residence.
Netanyahu compared political changes in the region to
the weekly portion, which
includes the sentence: "A new king arose over Egypt." saying just as a benevolent Pharoah was replaced by
one who enslaved the Jews, leaders around the region are being forced
out and that could happen to Abbas as well.
“In this week’s Torah portion it is written,
‘Now there arose a new king over Egypt who knew not Joseph.’ That’s also
happening today,” he said. “Everyone knows that Hamas could take over the
Palestinian Authority,. It can happen after an
agreement [with Israel], it could happen before an agreement, as was the
case in Gaza.”
The Prime Minsiter tressed that a withdrawal from the West Bank could lead
to a third Iranian base in the heart of Israel. "Peace is only achieved
once security is guaranteed," Netanyahu said.