Israel's conditions

The important speech delivered last night by PM Netanyahu is historic for several reasons. We are all aware of the oft-repeated conditions that the Palestinians thru the Palestine Authority have demanded for the final status of negotiations with Israel, i.e. that there should be the "right of return" for the so-called Palestinian "refugees," that they should have half of a divided Jerusalem, that Israel must return to the pre-1967 ceasefire lines, and so on. For the first time an Israeli PM has stated clearely what are the Israeli conditions set in advance of such negotiations. Previously when PMs Barak, Sharon and Olmert negotiated with the Palestinians it was always on their terms. Now PM Netanyahu has outlined the basic requirements that Israel demands as conditions in such negotiations.
For the first time a right-wing Likud leader endorsed a future Palestinian State, but under the following conditions, 1. that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people; 2. that any future Palestinian State be demilitarized, with solid international guarantees; 3. that no Palestinian "refugees" be returned to Israel but to their future State or settled where they are; 4. that Jerusalem not be divided and remain under Israeli sovereignty.
Of course, the PA spokesmen immediately rejected these Israeli conditions as unacceptable, but that would be expected, since the ball has now for the first time been thrown into their court. By accepting the principle of a Palestinian State, but at the same time presenting Israel's conditions for that State, Netanyahu has disturbed the one way approach in which the Palestinians presented their demands and Israel was forced by the international community to make concessions to them. Now the need for the Palestinians to make concessions is also clear and the nature of these concessions is defined.
Furthermore, the reasons for these conditions are clearly laid out. Israel is the Jewish State, so the Palestinians, if they want acceptance from Israel, must finally recognise it as such. Israel cannot accept Palestinian refugees because that would amount to national suicide, if they will have their own state let them go there, or be accepted by the Arab world, just as Israel accepted the Jewish refugees (850,000 of them) from the Arab world. Such a Palestinian State must be demilitarized in order to prevent the kind of situation we have in Gaza where a terrorist organization has taken over the territory and has smuggled in arms that are used to attack Israeli territory at will. A militarized West Bank State would be much more dangerous than Gaza and furthermore any such State could make deals with any terrorist country, such as Iran and Syria. In order for future negotiations to take place Netanyahu insisted that the PA must extend its control over Gaza too, since Israel will not negotiate with any terrorist organization that wants its destruction.
In regard to the settlements, Netanyahu compromised in that he stated that there will be no new settlements established and no Palestinian land taken for such settlements, but he insisted on the right for Israel to maintian "natural growth" in those settlements that have been established. In future negotiations the issue of settlements would be one of the topics for consideration. But, the longer the Palestinians wait, the larger the existing settlements will grow. Even Pres. Carter, not known as a friend of Israel, stated yesterday when visiting the Etzion bloc of settlements, that they could not be incorporated into a Palestinian State and would have to be transferred to Israel. Maybe he should have visited there before writing his insidious and one-sided books. Even Pres. Obama issued a statement calling Netanyahu's speech "an important step forward."