Israeli PM 'may back two states solution'
The Israeli premier will hold talks with US president Obama in Washington tomorrow
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Sunday, 17, May 2009 10:15
Israel's defence minister Ehud Barak has said his prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu may back a two state solution in talks in Washington next week.
Mr Netanyahu has never publicly backed a separate state for Palestinians but may be willing to do so now, according to the defence minister.
Speaking to Israeli television, Mr Barak said the Israeli premier was likely to adopt a careful approach during talks with US president Obama in Washington on Monday.
In comments to the country's Channel 2 TV, he stated: "Netanyahu will
tell Obama: We're willing to engage in a process whose end is a regional peace accord.
"The Arabs say 'two states,' [and] I don't see a reason why Netanyahu would not say that at the end of an accord... there will be two peoples living side by side in peace and mutual respect," he said.
One of the tense issues expected to be discussed at the talks is that of the building of settlements in the West Bank, an act considered illegal by the United Nations.
Another issue expected to be on the agenda is the response to Iran with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton previously saying that Israel risked support against Iran if it did not take peace efforts with the Palestinians seriously.