Netanyahu not to tolerate existence of Palestinian state

JAKARTA (JP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday he would not tolerate the existence of a Palestinian state because its establishment could threaten Israel's survival and the safety of Jews.

"A declaration by Chairman Arafat of a Palestinian state would be a lethal blow to the Oslo agreement which forbids such unilateral steps... and leave Israel no option but to defend itself against the threat that such a state would pose," Netanyahu told The Jakarta Post in an exclusive written interview.

Stressing Israel's wish to live in peace with its Arab neighbors, he said, however, that "we must make sure that we survive. We believe the establishment of a Palestinian state will threaten our survival."

The Palestinians want to establish an independent state in the occupied territories with East Jerusalem as the capital. Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has repeatedly said that he will declare a Palestinian state.

Arafat reiterated his will last Saturday in response to the approved construction of thousands of Jewish homes in East Jerusalem.

Netanyahu said the Palestinians' maximum self-rule should by no means endanger Israel, stressing that they could not have a large and heavily-armed army that could let them form military alliances with other neighboring countries to control Israel's air space.

"They (the Palestinians) should not be able to form military alliances... nor should they control our resources, or bring hundreds of thousands of refugees and park them on our doorstep to terrorize us," Netanyahu stated.

Indonesia

On Indonesia, Netanyahu said he was interested in developing the bilateral relations with the Jakarta government which had been spearheaded by his predecessor, the late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, who met President Soeharto on an official visit here in October 1993.

"I believe strong relations between Israel and Indonesia can benefit both countries economically and politically, and I am sure it can contribute immensely to solidifying peace in the Middle East," Netanyahu said, adding that Israel had no quarrel with Islam.

Indonesia, the world's largest Moslem country, and Israel have no diplomatic ties, and Jakarta, as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference, has repeatedly said it will not set up relations with the Jewish state until a comprehensive solution to the Middle East peace process is achieved.

Netanyahu emphasized that the future of Israel depended greatly on its relations with the Arab and Moslem world and that he would do his utmost to make a peaceful and prosperous relationship possible.

"Living in peace with our neighbors is indeed an Israeli dream. This is our deepest wish for our children and for Palestinian children as well," he added. (ego/mds)

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