Netanyahu: Early elections not on the agenda

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday rejected claims that he would call early elections, at a press conference marking the start of the fourth year of his coalition.

“I don’t intend to bring elections forward,” he said. “If someone else wants to push for elections, I’m not afraid of elections, but I don’t intend to initiate them.”

Elections are scheduled for early 2013. There has been wide speculation that the prime minister would dissolve his coalition and ask Israelis to go to the polls before then.

Netanyahu also used the press conference to warn that anybody who threatened Israel would be struck first.

The warning was seen as a message to Iran and Gaza-based terror groups.

Netanyahu used the podium to reiterate calls for the international community to exert pressure on Iran over its nuclear program, saying the Islamic Republic could not “operate in the international community.”

At the same time, the prime minister said he was interested in restarting talks with the Palestinians, as he said he has been since the beginning of his term.

“I want to solve the conflict with the Palestinians because I don’t want a binational state,” Netanyahu said. “For as long as it depends on me, we will ensure the Jewish and democratic character of Israel.”

The statement was important because it in effect concedes a key argument made by Israel’s Zionist left: A pullout from the Palestinian territories is not just a concession that could be made in exchange for peace — but also an imperative for an Israel that wants to remain a Jewish state that is also democratic.

The main portion of Netanyahu’s speech, however, focused on Israel’s economic performance over the past three years.

“We acted responsibly,” he said, describing the government’s programs on education, building, and industry that have helped reduce social disparities.

During his speech, he likened his administration to a tree, drawing one on an electronic whiteboard to illustrate his government’s “remarkably stable economic trunk” — adding that the tree is growing and bearing fruits in its fourth year of governance.

Israel has enjoyed a 4.7 percent economic growth and gained a AA credit rating despite a world economic recession.

Last summer, thousands of Israeli took to the streets calling for social justice, and Netanyahu’s government initiated a series of social plans, including free education for children from the age of 3.

A booklet handed out at the event stated that some 80 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 4 will receive free education next year. Some 1,000 new kindergartens will also be built.

AP contributed to this report.