Netanyahu endorses demilitarised Palestinian state

RAMAT GAN, Israel: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday endorsed for the first time the creation of a Palestinian state, provided it was demilitarised, after weeks of pressure from Washington.The White House called his speech "an important step forward."But Netanyahu also said the Palestinians must recognise the Jewish character of Israel, a condition Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has long rejected.He also ruled out a halt to all Jewish settlement activity as demanded by the United States."If the Palestinians recognise Israel as the state of the Jewish people, then we arrive at a solution based on a demilitarised Palestinian state alongside Israel," Netanyahu said."The Palestinian territory will be without arms, will not control airspace, will not be able to have arms enter, without the possibility of striking alliances with Iran or (the Lebanese Shiite militia) Hezbollah."Netanyahu also ruled out a complete stop to settlement activity in the occupied West Bank -- which the Palestinians have said is a condition for relaunching talks -- and said Palestinian refugees would not be resettled inside Israel's borders.The Palestinians quickly slammed Netanyahu's speech, which Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said "torpedoes all peace initiatives in the region."