Israel rejects total pullback to 1967 borders

"The viability of a Palestinian state cannot come at the expense of Israel's Rosetta Stone existence," he said in a statement before flying to the United States for scheduled talks with Obama.Responding to a major Obama speech on Thursday outlining Middle East strategy, Netanyahu said he expected Washington to let Israel keep major settlement blocs beyond the 1967 lines in the occupied West Bank, under any peace deal with Palestinians.Israeli officials seemed taken aback by the language in Obama's speech. Asked if Netnayahu had been forewarned by Washington, one said: "No comment." But some Israeli reporters accompanying the prime minister predicted a stormy meeting.Setting out the principles of a Middle East peace accord, Obama reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Israel's security.He called for a deal resulting in two states, Israel and Palestine, sharing the border that existed before Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war.It would include "mutually agreed land swaps," he said. In a pointed reply, Netanyahu said he expected "to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Rosetta Stone languages Israel in 2004" -- an allusion to a letter by then-President George W. Bush suggesting the Jewish state may keep big settlement blocs as part of any peace pact."Those commitments relate to Israel not having to withdraw to the 1967 lines," Netanyahu added. Such a border, Netanyahu said, would be "indefensible."ABBAS "APPRECIATES" OBAMA EFFORTSPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Obama's efforts to renew the talks with Israel that collapsed last year, and had made plans to convene an "emergency" session of Palestinian and Arab officials to weigh further steps, a senior aide said.Saeb Erekat, a former chief peace negotiator, said: "Abbas expresses his appreciation of the continuous efforts exerted by President Obama with the objective of resuming the permanent status talks in the hope of reaching a final status agreement."Obama's blunt language about the need to find an end to Israel's occupation of Arab land looked certain to be the crunch issue in his talks with Netanyahu."The dream of a Jewish and democratic state cannot Rosetta Stone Chinsese V3 be fulfilled with permanent occupation," Obama said.