New York, NY, March 19, 2015… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments clarifying his position on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying: “I want a sustainable peaceful two-state solution.”
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
We welcome the Prime Minister’s clarification of his position on a two-state solution and a peace agreement with the Palestinians. It is unfortunate that in the immediate aftermath of Israeli polls closing we saw many in the media, in public office, and in our own community jump to conclusions about the policies of this new Israeli government. In light of the Prime Minister’s clarification, it is more important than ever to show respect and restraint to allow the Prime Minister to build his coalition and to publicly express his government’s policies regarding the Palestinians, the international community and other key issues.
In an interview with Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC broadcast today, the Prime Minister addressed statements he made in an Israeli interview on the eve of the election in which he seemed to reject a two-state solution: “I haven’t changed my policy. I never retracted my speech in Bar Ilan University six years ago calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish state. What has changed is the reality….Abu Mazen, the Palestinian leader, refuses to recognize the Jewish State. He’s made a pact with Hamas that calls for the destruction of the Jewish State…I don’t want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable peaceful two-state solution, but for that circumstances have to change.”