Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettFlash 90

Economics Minister Naftali Bennett released a statement on his Facebook page Friday, discussing the talks which have resumed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Bennett cites history once more in his statement, and explains the extent of the US's involvement in a possible peace deal.

"Recently we’ve been hearing a new tune: an international guarantee will 'safeguard Israel's security'," Bennett stated. "We are told that they found the answer to all of our security problems. We can evacuate Samaria, Judea and the Jordan Valley (they won’t dare speak about the Golan Heights). We can place cameras, lasers, helicopters, and especially - rely on international forces and the security guarantee of our friends." 

The statement follows news that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas rejected the US's proposal for security arrangements in the critical Jordan Valley region, which would provide a buffer zone between the two countries in the event of a two-state solution. Abbas originally made statements to that effect in a radio interview; PA officials confirmed the news to Kerry and to AFP Friday. 

While AFP reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry was set to meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at 6:30 am in Jerusalem for follow-up talks, no information has yet been released about that meeting - which may have been cancelled, delayed, or postponed in light of the massive snowstorm sweeping across Israel. 

Bennett notes that similar security arrangements in Lebanon, Iran and Syria have actually worked against their aims. 

"In 2006, at the end of the Second Lebanon War, the Security Council passed Resolution 1701, which prohibits the entry of all weapons into southern Lebanon. Result: Hezbollah has since smuggled in over 100,000 missiles into southern Lebanon."

"In 2006, the Security Council passed Resolution 1696 that determined that Iran must stop all enrichment and may not build any additional centrifuges," he continued. "Result: Since then, Iran has increased the amount of its centrifuges from only 164 to 18,500." 

"Over a year ago, the President of the United States determined if Syria will use chemical weapons against its people that this would be crossing a red line which would lead to military action. Result: Syria has killed hundreds of residents with chemical weapons (no one is disputing that), and military action did not happen." 

"This has happened dozens of times around the world. Guarantees are words, they are not actions," he concluded. "We will continue to defend ourselves, by ourselves. It has worked not badly at all for the last 65 years."