Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke to the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference by video Monday night, explaining, “I was hoping to speak to you in person, but unfortunately, I had to stay in Israel to do something a lot more enjoyable – putting together a coalition government.
“What fun! “
Before getting down to issues of less fun, such as the Iranian nuclear threat, he advised his listeners not to adopt Israel’s political system.
“It’s a lot easier finding common ground between two parties than it is to find common ground among ten parties,” according to the Prime Minister. “You think you have a difficulty working out your politics, believe me, this is harder.”
After the pleasantries, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he is looking forward to welcoming President Barack Obama and that the two leaders have agreed to talk on three issues:
“Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons; Second, the deteriorating situation in Syria; And third, the need to find a responsible way to advance the peace with the Palestinians.”
He clarified Israel’s stand on territorial concessions to the Palestinian Authority without guarantees for security.
“Israel withdrew from Lebanon; We withdrew from Gaza; We gave up territory. We got terror. We cannot allow that to happen a third time,” he said.
“Israel is prepared for a meaningful compromise. But as Israel’s Prime Minister, I will never compromise on our security.”