http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25489361-2703,00.html
Arab allies in deal with Benjamin Netanyahu John Lyons, Middle East correspondent | May 16, 2009 Article from: The Australian ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made broad agreement on key Middle East security issues with two of the moderate Arab nations in the region, Jordan and Egypt, ahead of his first meeting with US President Barack Obama on Monday. Mr Netanyahu yesterday travelled to Jordan to meet King Abdullah in preparation for his all-important meeting in the White House with Mr Obama at which it is likely to become clear whether Israel will accept the US and European Union's calls for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The meeting in Jordan suggests Mr Netanyahu is prepared to offer compromise on his previous positions when he meets Mr Obama - he described the meeting as "excellent" even though King Abdullah told him he needed to accept a two-state solution, lift Israel's embargo of Gaza and withdraw from "all occupied Palestinian lands". Since becoming Prime Minister in February, Mr Netanyahu has been focused on preparing for the meeting with Mr Obama. This has included trying to pull together a broad coalition of agreement between Israel, Jordan and Egypt - who are united in concern about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Mr Netanyahu said yesterday: "I wanted the first meetings in my first month as Prime Minister to be with our peace partners, Egypt and Jordan, before going to our biggest friend, the US, with the goal of making this circle strong and expanding it. "I am pleased that I can go to Washington after we had this triangle of talks - between Israel, Egypt and Jordan - and I think it will help us in the future." King Abdullah appeared less certain after the meeting that common ground had been reached. In a statement, he rejected Mr Netanyahu's stated view that "an economic peace" needed to be established with the Palestinians before any lasting political solution could be reached. "Any notion of economic empowerment, outside a political solution leading to an independent and viable Palestinian state living in peace beside Israel, was rejected since it would not bring peace and leave the region hostage to further crises and conflicts," King Abdullah said. He warned that "missing the current opportunity" to end the conflict would threaten the security of the entire region and that Israel would not enjoy security and stability "unless the Palestinians gain the right to establish their state and live in peace and security". King Abdullah is emerging as a key figure in the renewed search for peace in the Middle East - he was one of the first world leaders to meet Mr Obama in the White House and one of the few Arab leaders who can talk to both Israel and Arab countries. After his meeting in Jordan, Mr Netanyahu said there was "a wide agreement" between the three governments regarding "the strategic threat that threatens us all" - a clear reference to Iran. Israel clearly places the issue of Iran developing a nuclear program as a higher priority for urgent action than resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while the Obama administration has made it clear it wants the new Israeli Government to make a peace settlement with the Palestinians a priority. It appears Mr Obama will guarantee to seek to resolve the Iranian issue - by trying to convince Tehran to allow international inspectors to monitor its nuclear program or else face tougher economic sanctions - if Israel commits to immediately resuming peace talks aimed at the development of a two-state solution that would see the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state. These differing priorities between Israel and the international community were highlighted again yesterday when Mr Netanyahu met Pope Benedict in the final day of the Pope's Middle East trip. Although it was only a 15- minute meeting, Mr Netanyahu brought up Iran while the Pope brought up the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr Netanyahu said later: "I asked him as a moral figure to make his voice heard loudly and continuously against the declarations coming from Iran. I told him it cannot be that at the beginning of the 21st century there is a state which says it is going to destroy the Jewish state, (yet) there is no aggressive voice being heard condemning this." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
