Netanyahu says yes to Palestinian self-rule – with Israeli security control

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his commitment to the idea of Palestinian self-government in the West Bank, provided Israel preserves total security control of all territory west of the Jordan River. Speaking on Wednesday at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, Netanyahu said that he was in favor of a solution where the “Palestinians have all the powers to govern themselves and none of the powers to threaten us.” He said he had told former US Vice President Joe Biden he was not interested in “labels” such as “two-state solution,” so long as Israel kept security control in “the tiny area west of the Jordan.” If that went, Hamas would overthrow the Palestinian Authority “in a minute,” he said. The prime minister disclosed that Israel had foiled an assassination attempt against PA leader Mahmoud Abbas.