Netanyahu Conditionally Accepts Palestinian State in Bar-Ilan Speech

Historic Endorsement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a major policy speech at Bar-Ilan University, endorsing for the first time a Palestinian state alongside Israel - but with conditions so stringent that Palestinians immediately rejected them as “worse than no state at all.”

The Declaration

Netanyahu’s carefully worded acceptance:

“If we receive a guarantee of demilitarization and necessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, we will be willing to reach a peace agreement with a demilitarized Palestinian state side by side with Israel.”

The Conditions

Security Requirements

Netanyahu’s non-negotiables:

Complete demilitarization
No army or air force
Israeli control of airspace
Israeli presence Jordan Valley
No military alliances

Recognition Demand

Jewish state acknowledgment:

Israel as Jewish homeland
End of conflict declaration
No refugee return to Israel
End all claims
Education system changes

Additional Positions

Jerusalem

Uncompromising stance:

“United Jerusalem is Israel’s capital”
No division ever
No Palestinian sovereignty
Religious freedom guaranteed
Construction continues

Settlements

Partial flexibility:

No new settlements
No land confiscation
“Natural growth” continues
Major blocs remain
No outpost commitment

Palestinian Rejection

Abbas Response

Swift and harsh:

“Netanyahu’s speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations. He spoke about a state with no real sovereignty, no capital in Jerusalem, and no solution for refugees. This is not a state.”

Negotiator Analysis

Saeb Erekat’s assessment:

“Swiss cheese state”
“Bantustans offered”
“Occupation permanence”
“Not serious partner”
“Dictating not negotiating”

US Reaction

Cautious Welcome

Obama administration response:

“Important step forward”
“Positive movement”
“More work needed”
“Settlements concern remains”
“Negotiations must begin”

Private Disappointment

Diplomatic sources reveal:

Minimal movement seen
Settlement freeze absent
Conditions excessive
Gap remains wide
Mitchell task harder

Israeli Politics

Right-Wing Anger

Coalition partners furious:

“Betrayal of ideology”
“Leftist capitulation”
“Security endangered”
“No mandate given”
“Government should fall”

Center-Left Skepticism

Opposition unconvinced:

“Empty words only”
“Conditions kill prospect”
“PR exercise merely”
“International pressure response”
“Not genuine shift”

Strategic Calculation

Netanyahu’s Balance

Multiple audiences addressed:

Obama administration
Israeli public
Coalition partners
International community
Palestinians last

Tactical Move

Analysts assessment:

Pressure relief valve
Time buying exercise
Coalition preservation
International positioning
Negotiations delay

Regional Response

Arab Reaction

Widespread dismissal:

Egypt: “Insufficient”
Jordan: “Disappointing”
Saudi: “Not serious”
Syria: “Propaganda”
Arab League: “Rejectionist”

Hamas Position

Predictable condemnation:

“Recognition never”
“Resistance continues”
“Abbas shouldn’t negotiate”
“Liberation only path”
“Unity against occupation”

Historical Context

Likud Evolution

Ideological journey:

Begin: Autonomy only
Shamir: Greater Israel
Netanyahu I: Hebron agreement
Sharon: Disengagement
Netanyahu II: Conditional state

Comparison with Predecessors

Less than others offered:

Rabin: Oslo Accords
Barak: Camp David
Sharon: Roadmap acceptance
Olmert: Annapolis process
Netanyahu: Minimal movement

Media Coverage

Headline Wars

Competing interpretations:

“Netanyahu Accepts Palestinian State”
“Netanyahu Rejects Real Palestinian State”
“Historic Shift by Israeli Leader”
“Netanyahu’s Non-Offer Offer”
“Breakthrough or Breakdown?”

Implementation Questions

Next Steps Unclear

Practical implications:

Negotiations when?
Settlement freeze?
Prisoner releases?
Checkpoint removals?
Economic steps?

Analysis

Speech Significance

Multiple interpretations:

Genuine policy evolution
Tactical maneuver only
International pressure response
Coalition management
Historical footnote

The Bar-Ilan speech represents Netanyahu’s attempt to square an impossible circle: appearing reasonable internationally while maintaining hardline positions. By accepting a Palestinian “state” drained of meaningful sovereignty, Netanyahu perhaps revealed more about the conflict’s intractability than any rejectionist position could.