Netanyahu Sets the Table for Rejection of Parts of Kerry Framework Plan

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu seemed to lay a foundation for rejecting elements of the “framework plan” US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to reveal shortly. Speaking to a security conference on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that, “Israel will not be obligated to agree with everything the Americans will put forth in the framework agreement.” He also reiterated his frequent assertion that the main obstacle to peace is the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize the Jewish character of the state of Israel. Netanyahu’s preemptive strike at the Kerry proposals is reminiscent of the prime minister’s response to the 2003 Road Map for Peace which then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon accepted with a number of caveats reportedly drafted by then-Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Effectively, though, the exceptions were largely ignored by the international community.