Berlin–
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hosted
on Thursday by FRG's chancellor Angela Merkel and
president Horst Köhler. He made clear that the purpose of his visit
was to shore up support for stronger sanctions against Iran.
Concerning
Palestine, Netanyahu
presented himself still more high-pitched:
US president Obama had already agreed to Israel's request
giving it a free hand in East Jerusalem. Regarding the rest of the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu offered a settlement freeze for nine
months, excluding the construction of 2.500 new Jewish housing units already under way.
Additionally, Netanyahu wants to be able to erect public buildings in the
settlements. During the nine months for which
Netanyahu offers a partial halt in settlement
constructions, the Arab states would have to make impossible
concessions, such as opening their air spaces to Israeli
flights, allowing the opening of Israeli trade agencies in
all Arab cities and dropping the ban on travellers whose passports carry Israeli entry
visa. Moreover, the Palestinians would be called to recognize Israel as a Jewish
state ('Judenstaat' as requested by arch-zionist
Theodor Herzl). If Arab states fail to agree, Netanyahu
knows that America
and its allies will not oppose renewed building. About half a million Israelis live
already in settlements illegally built in territory captured by
Israel in 1967.
After having passed to Netanyahu a portfolio of 29 'plans of
the hell', Bild editor Kai Diekmann and FRG
chancellor Angela Merkel assured
Netanyahu that they would always do their duty
towards Netanyahu and his kinship.
