Biden says Israel must back two-state peace deal

WASHINGTON – Vice President Joe Biden challenged Israel to back a two-state peace agreement with the Palestinians and urged the Jewish state's new leadership to demonstrate its commitment to such a solution.

In a speech Tuesday to the leading pro-Israel lobby in the United States, Biden said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government should stop constructing new Jewish settlements and ease restrictions on Palestinians.

"Israel has to work toward a two-state solution," Biden told the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. "You're not going to like my saying this, but not build more settlements, dismantle existing outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement."

Biden also urged the Palestinians to meet their obligations to the so-called "road map" for peace and said neighboring Arab states need to make "meaningful gestures" toward peace with Israel. He said the U.S. would never abandon its commitment to Israel's security.

"That is not negotiable, that is not a matter of change," he said, adding that the Obama administration's desire to engage with Iran would not compromise Israel's security.

Biden's comments came ahead of a meeting later Tuesday between President Barack Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres as well as a visit to Washington this month by Netanyahu.

Speaking to the same conference by satellite from Jerusalem, Netanyahu on Monday said his government is ready to resume peace talks with the Palestinians "the sooner the better" and outlined a "triple track" approach to peace with the Palestinians, a strategy that emphasizes political, economic and security planks to resolve the decades-long conflict.

But he did not mention creation of a Palestinian state during his remarks.

Instead, he proposed his three-track strategy, which he called a fresh approach that would improve the quality of life for Palestinians while preserving Israel's security.

The political track is focused on resuming peace negotiations. The security track would strengthen what he called the "security apparatus" of the Palestinians, Netanyahu said. On the economic track, he said Israel is prepared to remove as many obstacles as possible to advance the Palestinian economy.

He also cautioned that Israel never would compromise its own security as it seeks peace.