ISRAEL: PM NETANYAHU SAYS HE WANTS PROCEED WITH PEACE PROCESS

Описание: (30 Sep 1996) English/Nat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants the peace process back on track, despite vowing to keep the controversial tunnel in Jerusalem open.

In an interview before leaving for Washington to attend the Mideast summit, Netanyahu accused the Palestinians of violating the Oslo accords by using their weapons against Israel.

But he indicated that Israel may be prepared to withdraw its troops from Hebron, the only city still occupied in the West Bank.

In an interview before leaving for Washington to attend the Mideast summit, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to proceed with the peace process.

SOUNDBITE:
"We don't have to jettison the framework that exists. I think it's problematic and I always viewed it as problematic, but I think we should proceed in an attempt to get things back on track. It's not going to be easy."
SUPER CAPTION: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

The failure of Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli troops from the West Bank town of Hebron in accordance with the Oslo peace accords has contributed to Palestinian fury these last few days.

While violence has subsided in other areas of the West Bank in recent days, Palestinian frustration in Hebron has led to daily clashes with police.

Netanyahu said he was prepared to discuss the outstanding issues of the Oslo agreement - but said the Palestinians had violated the agreements by their recent outbreak of violence.

SOUNDBITE:
"We're prepared to discuss all the substance of all outstanding issues including the question of redeployment of Hebron. We were talking - we were ready to do that before, we said before these riots took place that we had real security problems - and in none of our wildest dreams did we think that the major security problem would come, not from the organised terrorist groups, the Islamic, Jihad and Hamas, but the Palestinian security forces that are supposed to fight them. What has happened here is that Palestinian Authority violated the sacred trust of Oslo, They used the Palestinian police that were supposed to act against the terrorists as a weapon of war against Israel. We gave them those rifles, 30 thousand rifles, we enabled and encouraged the formation of a strong police force."
SUPERCAPTION: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

Netanyahu said both sides had to make peace and that meant no violence.

SOUNDBITE:
"I think a peace that is based on truth will hold. A peace that is based on distortions and lies will crash against the rocks of reality. I'm telling Arafat right now that the reality is that we both have to make peace, that the reality is that we both have to ensure that there's no violence. It's as much in your interests as it is in mine and that's what we're going to Washington for."
SUPERCAPTION: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

For Netanyahu, the summit puts his tough approach to peacemaking to its first major test since he was elected prime minister last May.

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