Bennett: I won’t thwart talks with the Palestinians

The current government coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is serious about the two-state solution and “I’m not going to stop it,” said Economics Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett.

In an interview with the Washington Post, the former businessman turned politician whose party won 12 seats in the last elections said he will not stand in the way of negotiation with the Palestinians but expressed skepticism that anything will come of it.

“Talking is fine. I am very skeptical that it will lead to anything,” said Bennett.

On Monday, speaking at a meeting of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of Jewish communities in the West Bank, Bennett had dismissed the notion of a Palestinian state.

“The idea of forming a Palestinian state in Israel has reached a dead end,” he said then. Never in the history of the Jewish people has so much energy been invested in “something so pointless,” and “we should put the idea behind us,” he added.

“The international community is forcing upon us national suicide, because injecting, yet again, a terror state into the heart of our country is national suicide,” Bennett told the Washington Post.

US Secretary of State John Kerry is engaged in an intense effort to coax the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Since taking the post earlier this year, Kerry has traveled to the region four times to cajole the two sides into talks, but the Palestinians have refused to engage in peace talks with Israel unless it halts construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Kerry is set to arrive for a fifth time in the coming weeks to renew his efforts.

In an interview with the same US newspaper on Thursday, Netanyahu called on the Palestinians to drop preconditions immediately and start talking.

If Secretary Kerry, whose efforts we support, were to pitch a tent halfway between [Jerusalem] and Ramallah — that’s 15 minutes away driving time — I’m in it, I’m in the tent. And I’m committed to stay in the tent and negotiate for as long as it takes to work out a solution of peace and security between us and the Palestinians,” said Netanyahu.

While Bennett admitted to having “profound disagreements” with the prime minister, it seems he and Netanyahu agreed on one thing in their respective interviews — that the real reason behind the conflict is the Palestinian’s refusal to recognize the Jewish state.

“The conflict is not about a piece of territory — it’s about Israel’s very right to exist,” said Bennett.

The prime minister expressed a similar sentiment, cautioning that  the “real reason” behind the conflict is the “persistent refusal [by the Palestinians] to recognize a sovereign Jewish state in any boundary. “

When asked if he would withdraw from the coalition should the government vote for pursuing peace with the Palestinians and making concessions, Bennett replied: “When I get to the bridge, I’ll cross it.”

The economics minister reiterated his support for annexing the West Bank’s Area C [under full Israeli civil military control], an idea he successfully campaigned on, and offering full Israeli citizenship to Palestinians living there.

“I think they’ll jump at the opportunity of getting the benefits of being Israeli — social security and employment,” he told the newspaper, adding “I think it’s time for fresh thinking. If the current course has been leading to failure and death, let’s think of another alternative. Let’s start building businesses together, living together, reducing the hate levels.”