The Influence, And Views Of Netanyahu On The Middle East Peace Plan Essay, Research Paper
The Influence, and Views of Netanyahu On The Middle East Peace Plan
The middle east has many problems trying to achieve peace between Israel
and the Palestinians. The peace process started about four years ago with the
Middle East countries. Through the process many people have had major influence
on it. One person who might have one of the greatest influences of the peace
agreement is Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu. The peace agreement is
the biggest topic in the Middle East and he is at the head of one end. At the
other end is another strong figure. The leader of the PLO (Palestinian
Liberation Organization) is Yasir Arafat. In this report I will explain Benjamin
Netanyahu’s position in Israel and how he has affected the peace plan. I will
tell about his views on what is going on.
Benjamin Netanyahu lived in the United States for a few years. Netanyahu
was a graduate of M.I.T. in 1975. Then he claimed duel citizenship with the
United States and Israel. Netanyahu did so because his mother was born in the
United States. He was a well-paid analyst with the Boston Consulting group. He
left working there and went back to Israel in 1978. When he went back to Israel,
he was there for about six years when he became the embassador to the united
states for Israel. Later when he was an Israeli diplomat he renounced his
American citizenship. In 1996 he became the Prime Minister of Israel. He now has
the most influence from the Israeli side of things. Benjamin Netanyahu has done
many interviews and addresses with the American people. One such interview he
did to express his views was with Time Magazine. Time asked him if he were a
Palestinian, how he would regard toward Netanyahu? He replies, “If I read the
controlled Palestinian media, I would think that, as they call me, I am worse
than Hitler.”(Beyer, 1996, p.38) They then asked him if a Palestinian could see
you for what you really are what they would see. He replied to that by saying,
“I think they would regard me as a person who believes deeply in the necessity
of peace and that we don’t have an anther partner other than the Palestinian
Authority. I think that any Palestinian mother reading this should understand
that I am as deeply conscious of her pain of losing her child as I am of a
Jewish mothers.”(Beyer, 1996, p.38) Netanyahu goes on telling Time that he does
not hate the man Arafat, but the two represent different perspectives and
interests. Time asked him if he would say Arafat is a nice guy and Netanyahu
simply replied, “If he would say it about me I would say it to him.”(Beyer, 1996,
p.38) In the interview he shows he does not dislike the Palestinians and does
not wish harm to them, but does not think the way they do. Benjamin Netanyahu
did many interviews and speeches during the past few years.
One vital speech made by Benjamin Netanyahu was made on May sixth, 1996
to the twenty-sixth Washington Conference, “Council of the Americas,” Washington,
D.C. In his speech he says, ” I am fortunate to be the first of among Israelis
prime minister to be born after the establishment of the new state. This is a
turning point in our history. During more than two thousand years of exile,
generations of Jews fought and struggled to get back the homeland we lost. Now
after the founding of the state, our main task is too secure, reestablish, and
develop the homeland we got back.” (U.S. Department of State Dispatch, Netanyahu,
1996, speech), Netanyahu wants to get peace between the feuding countries. His
only interest is to make sure Israel stays the same at any way possible without
war. He went on and said, “We want a stable and lasting peace, not a temporary,
fleeting agreement. We want peace that will last for our children and our
grandchildren, not just for tomorrow’s newspapers.”(U.S. Department of State
Dispatch, Netanyahu, 1996, speech), Netanyahu does not want the quick fix
agreement. He does not want a cheap peace plan that might last until the next
terrorist attack and then be back where the countries were before. He wants
something that will please both sides and will last for a long time with peace.
Netanyahu said, “Security is essential if we are to make progress toward real
peace arrangements with our neighbors.” (U.S. Department of Dispatch, Netanyahu,
1996) Netanyahu believes if they’re is any terrorist type acts that peace will
be impossible to happen. Netanyahu says that in the speech showing
of an eventual peace arrangement. Prime minister Netanyahu said, “I want to call
today to our neighbors in the Palestinian Authority and say to them: on this
basis of ensuring security, we are ready to start a real partnership with you
for peace, cooperation and good, neighborly relations. The government of Israel
will negotiate with the Palestinian Authority on the condition that it will
fulfill all its obligations. The negotiations will deal with the implementation
of the interim agreement and the issues of the permanent arrangement, in which
will allow both sides to live with peace and security.” (U.S. Department of
Dispatch, 1996), He says that showing he is ready to negotiate for peace between
the countries. He makes it seem that peace is up to the Palestinians and not to
the Israelis anymore. Netanyahu said that they are ready for peace. In all his
words he says he mentions how he wants peace but in one statement he says he
puts all his speeches into one. Netanyahu said, “Broadening the circle of peace
with all our neighbors, while safeguarding the vital interests of our country;
is a foremost goal of the government.”(Netanyahu, 1996) Netanyahu said that
meaning peace will be a good thing no matter who the peace is with, but the
peace will not be made by compromising anything of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu
then said, “Form this podium I address the leaders of all Arab countries with a
call for peace. I call especially on our immediate neighbors, Syrian President
Hafez Assad, Lebanese President Elias Hrawi, King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and all
other Arab leaders. Come, let us conduct direct negotiations for peace,
negotiations without pre-conditions that will advance the Middle East to an era
of stability and prosperity. This is key: Each side can present their ideas
without requiring that the other side agree to these positions in advance. We
will not dictate our view to your and you will not dictate your views to us. We
will sit and negotiate seriously, prudently and responsibly to reach an
agreement.”(Netanyahu 1996) Netanyahu said he wanted them to come over and
together they will work out their agreement without shoving their views in each
other face. The Israelis have their view and the Palestinians have different
ones but they do not care they want to leave their views behind and come to an
agreement with the neighboring countries. After Netanyahu said that he went on
to state, “I declare here, that we oppose the description of Islam as the enemy
of Israel and the West, after the fall of the Soviet Union. Along with political
discussions between Israel and the countries in the countries in the region, we
must add a parley between Judaism and Islam. We extend our hand in peace not
only to our Arab neighbors, but to all Muslim countries with Islam people. We
have no conflict with Islam. We have a struggle with militant forces, who use
their distorted interpretations of Islam as a tool for violence, hatred and
bloodshed.” Netanyahu explains he has no hatred toward the beliefs of the Islam
people, but he hates the Militant forces used. Netanyahu says in his speech how
he has been to Arab countries and has seen the poor way of living they have, how
most the people have no food or money. He believes they can help them with their
problems, but before they can do that they must take care of their own spending
problems. The Prime mister has only good intentions with the other countries. He
does not want any more war between the countries.
Prime mister Netanyahu does not believe that they’re should still be war
and hostility between them. Netanyahu is very careful not to compromise the
safety of the people in Israel. The Arabs have not declared for peace, but with
Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu doing speech after speech probability
is high. He has told the Arabs that he wants them to come over and work on an
agreement that will last. Netanyahu says a lot to the Palestinians, but many
people believe that he is only after the popularity of the people of Israel.
Netanyahu swore that he in their government would not set religious standards,
but he has attempted of changing it. Benjamin Netanyahu might see people being
disgusted with him for little stuff like that and try to make up with it by
Tring to push something as big as a peace plan with the Islamic countries that
would last for a long time. He knows if that were to be achieved that the people
would love him and keep him at his position for has long has he wants. I think