Washington: Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday termed as "unacceptable" the demands
to stop fresh Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem.
"The Palestinian demand - I`m not saying what the
American position is -- but the Palestinian demand is that we
prevent Jews from building in neighbourhoods in Jerusalem...
that is an unacceptable demand," Netanyahu told the ABC news
in an interview.
The issue has recently caused a rare public row
between the Israeli and US governments, with Washington
reportedly asking Netanyahu to embrace a four-month settlement
freeze in east Jerusalem.
However, Netanyahu said such a policy has been
followed by Israeli for more than four decades now.
"We`ve had -- not my personal policy -- but the policy
of all governments, including Yitzhak Rabin`s, Golda Meir`s,
Shimon Peres`, for the last 42 years," he argued.
Downplaying any tension between Israel and the US over
the matter as reported in the media, he said: "I think with
any family, with any relationship, the relationship of allies,
even your relatives, you have ups and downs. You have
disagreements. But I think this relationship between the US
and the people of Israel is rock solid."
"We have a great I would say a great conformity of
interests and values that will get us through this. And we`ll
try to work out the disagreements in a way that is
commensurate with that spirit," he said.
However, the Israeli leader said the status of
Jerusalem would be decided in talks with Palestine and
observed that "an imposed settlement" would not have any
merit.
"I don`t believe anyone will seriously think that you
can impose peace. Peace has to come from the parties sitting
down with each other, resolving their differences. And this is
what we want to achieve," the Prime Minister said.
"First of all, on these neighbourhoods, which are part
and parcel of Jerusalem, have not displaced anyone.
Palestinians live in Palestinian neighbourhoods in Jerusalem.
Jews live in Jewish neighbourhoods," he said.
PTI
