The Economic Club hosted its second Head of State of the 2017-2018 season, welcoming His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel, on March 7th. Prime Minister Netanyahu urged companies in the United States to invest in Israel, emphasizing Israel’s combination of free markets and innovative technology. He also discussed his position on the Iranian nuclear deal, the potential for a two-state solution with Palestine, U.S. Embassy in Israel’s relocation to Jerusalem.
Regarding the Iran Deal, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he told President Trump to “either fully fix the deal or fully nix it,” claiming that the agreement has failed to limit Iran’s nuclear program. To fix the deal, he proposed that U.S. Congress should enforce constraints on Iran based on change of behavior, rather than those limitations expiring after a certain date. On a potential solution with Palestine, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that most would favor a two-state solution, “if they thought that the Palestinians wanted a state next to Israel. But they’re convinced more and more that they want a state instead of Israel.” He emphasized that Israel must have the overriding security responsibility for the region for a deal to be agreed upon.
Prime Minister Netanyahu also discussed his relations with U.S. Presidents during his time as Prime Minister, noting that he has had agreements and disagreements with all of them. He has yet to find any disagreements with President Trump, who he praised for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. “The difference is, [the former Presidents] said they’d do it. [President Trump] did it… This will resonate down the ages for us,” he said of the Embassy’s relocation.
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