Opposition Leader Isaac Herzog agrees with the Israeli leader on at least one point, which is the futility of peace talks aimed towards a two-state solution, given the current political climate.
Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog, known for his stand against the expansion of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and for championing peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) towards the establishment of a Palestinian state, now says that the vision of a two-state solution is unrealistic.
Speaking Wednesday on IDF Radio, Herzog, while slamming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA President Mahmoud Abbas for being “stuck” and failing to make progress, conceded: “I don’t see the ability to do it now.”
Neither did he support the idea of a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from territory that would be given to the PA, having “learned the lessons” from previous moves, such as when Israel left Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005.
Both are now ruled by terrorist regimes – Lebanon by Hezbollah, and Gaza by Hamas – and rather than moving towards calm, Israel has had to fight more wars as a result.
Herzog called for separation from the Palestinians, urging the building of a security fence around Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, as well as from the Arab villages in the Jerusalem area, “so that they cannot come and stab us.”
He also suggested a regional security conference with Arab nations that share Israel’s security concerns, particularly with regard to the Iran nuclear deal.
The Opposition leader nonetheless attacked the present government in Jerusalem as “extreme right wing” and called for confidence-building measures with the Palestinians, “which Netanyahu has not been willing to apply for months now.”
Despite the wave of Palestinian terror and strong incitement against Israelis and Jews by the PA leadership, Herzog said that such a step “would change the direction in which we find ourselves.”
By: United with Israel Staff
(With files from The Jerusalem Post)
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