Benjamin Netanyahu tells Mahmoud Abbas that peace will require painful trade-offs:

The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas, who is willing to make concessions if the Palestinians also do, to achieve peace.

“A lasting peace can only succeed with the painful trade-offs on both sides, by Israel and the Palestinian side, by my side and theirs,” said Netanyahu.

Netanyahu spoke with President of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton in Washington on the restart of peace talks after 20 months of stagnation.

Israeli Prime Minister thanked the U.S. president, Barack Obama, and his team of negotiators spent time “to bring us to this moment” in which he said expects to achieve peace “lasting” and “consistent” for the region .

Netanyahu reiterated its willingness to achieve “a historic commitment” to peace in negotiations with the Palestinian leader, whom he described as a “partner for peace”, as he did last night just before the dinner given to Obama leaders in the region.

“As I said yesterday to Obama, the king of Jordan and Egyptian President, I see you as a partner for peace, together we can lead our people to an historic future to end conflict and bring us to peace” said.

“This will not be easy,” acknowledged Netanyahu, who stressed that “a true and lasting peace be achieved only mutase and painful concessions,” he said.

Netanyahu said: “The people of Israel, and I am the prime minister, are prepared to walk this path” and wondered if the Palestinians do as well.

The two pillars on which peace rests are the “legitimacy” and “safety” stressed the prime minister.

Nentayahu said that the Palestinians expect the Israelis to be prepared for the existence of a Palestinian state, “We expect them to be prepared to recognize Israel as a Jewish State,” he added.

The negotiations have been overshadowed by two attacks claimed by Hamas which killed six Jewish settlers.

“In recent days we have gone through difficulties, it has shed blood, the blood of innocents,” the prime minister, who thanked Abbas has condemned the latest attacks by Hamas.

But “it is equally important to find the murderers and also ensure that other murderers brakes that seek to kill our people, killing our peace,” he said.

“We face a big test to end the bloodshed and security as a future promise” for future generations, he said, hoping that this new push for peace to bear fruit.

“Shalom, Salaam, Peace”, he concluded.