Lapid: Israel must turn to the Arab League to seek a regional peace agreement
"We should turn to the Arab League to initiate a move that will lead to a regional agreement and separation from the Palestinians," Lapid says at Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference.
By JPOST.COM STAFFLapid: Israel must turn to the Arab League to seek a regional peace agreement
Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid addressed The Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference on Thursday, saying that Israel should turn to the Arab League to seek a regional peace agreement.Lapid's comments came as he was lampooning the diplomatic policy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The former finance minister, who was recently fired by the prime minister, said that during his tenure in the government, he had not been able to discern what Netanyahu's diplomatic policy is.He said that Israel must find a way to separate from the Palestinians in order to gain security and peace, however he also slammed the Left for its approach to the peace process, posing himself as a centrist.Lapid said that Israel must aim for a regional agreement, reaching out to moderate Arab regimes.He said this would not hermetically seal out terror, but it would give the Egyptians and Jordanians a role in helping Israel maintain its security.Lapid said that such an agreement would also open economic doors for Israel."It won't be easy, it won't be immediate, Israel has been damaged before" by peace deals, Lapid said. He said this must not be ignored, nor must Israel compromise on the security of its citizens.Therefore, the relationship with the United States is all the more important, he argued. America could take a proactive role in organizing a regional summit and guaranteeing any agreement."We should turn to the Arab League to initiate a move that will lead to a regional agreement and separation from the Palestinians," Lapid said.
Likud deputy minister Ofir Akunis responded to the speech, saying that Lapid should be more modest when lecturing about security, considering his only security experience consists of cutting the security budget and reading speeches about security from teleprompters.Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.