[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: It would be a stretch to claim that Israel has a
"unified position" supporting "two states, for two peoples". Suffice it to
say that the overwhelming majority of both Likud MKs and ministers consider
a sovereign Palestinian state to represent a mortal danger to Israel's
survival but can accept that Prime Minister Netanyahu says "two states" from
time to time as they do not think it really matters.

This is nothing new to Israeli politics. For many years MK Avigdor Liberman
has advocated final borders that are even harder to defend than the green
line, with the Israeli Arab "Triangle" carved out of the country and
transferred to a Palestinian state. And for as many years, most of the top
stars in Yisrael Beiteinu vehemently opposed this program that gained
expression in the party platform but didn't let it get in the way because
they were convinced that the question of "final borders" was not going to be
relevant for the foreseeable future.]

President Peres hosted a reception for the foreign diplomatic corps in
Israel and expressed his condolences regarding the tragic events in Boston

President Shimon Peres, this afternoon, (Tuesday, 16 April 2013), at his
residence in Jerusalem, hosted a reception for the foreign diplomatic corps
in honor of Israel's 65th Independence Day
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2012/Israel_65_years_independence_2013.htm
The reception was attended by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, the members of the diplomatic corps, and leaders of Israel's
faith groups.

During his remarks President Peres addressed yesterday's events in Boston
and said, "Permit me to express our solidarity with the bereaved families in
Boston today. Three people lost their lives, 140 were wounded and I want to
send on behalf of all of us, our condolences to all the families and wish a
speedy recovery to all the injured. When it comes to events like this, all
of us are one family. We feel a part of the people who paid such a high
price. God bless them. Today the real problem is terror and terror is not an
extension of policy, their policy is terror, their policy is to threaten.
Terrorists divide people, they kill innocent people."

President Peres complimented Prime Minister Netanyahu and said, "I want to
compliment our Prime Minister because he contributed something very
important for peace and that is a unified position for Israel on how we
should end vis-à-vis the Palestinian people. We were ideologically divided
in a very profound manner but the greatest divide was between the idea of
one large country and two nations for two peoples living together as
neighbors. I think one of the greatest contributions of the Prime Minister
is to bring Israel to a unified position of two states, for two peoples."
President Peres continued and said, "We know where we want to get to, two
states for two people. It is the differences we have to negotiate and they
are negotiable. I listen to the President of the Palestinian Authority and I
don't have to agree with everything he says but he's clear in his position
against terror and for peace. I think the time has arrived to overcome the
differences between us. You know we are a nation that seeks peace and if we
have to turn to arms it is only to defend our lives."