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 his wanting

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