Jerusalem, July 12: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview broadcast Sunday that it was unlikely a peace deal with the Palestinians could be implemented by 2012.
“Can we have a negotiated peace? Yes. Can it be implemented by 2012? I think it’s going to take longer than that,” Netanyahu told Fox News.
Asked if he believes there can be a Palestinian state by 2012, Netanyahu said he thought the process needs to take longer.
“I think there can be a solution. It may be implemented over time, because time is an important factor of getting the solution, both in terms of security arrangements and other things that would be difficult if they’re not allowed to take place over time,” he said.
For the past two months, Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in a series of US-backed “proximity talks” which have seen US envoy George Mitchell shuttling between the two sides.
But Israel wants to shift to direct negotiations — in a move which was publicly backed by US President Barack Obama when he met with Netanyahu in Washington last week.
Following the meeting, Obama assured Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas by telephone on Friday of his commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state, Abbas’ spokesman said.
The Palestinians have set August 2011 as a target date for a state, particularly prime minister Salam Fayyad, who has been trying to build the institutions for a de-facto state.
—Agencies