Israel mulls temporary Palestinian state: report

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu is likely to offer the Palestinians a provisional state within temporary borders, the country's defense minister said in an interview published Tuesday, spelling out for the first time the "phased approach" that other officials have said the Israeli leader was considering.

Mindful that the Palestinians repeatedly have rejected provisional statehood, Ehud Barak told The Wall Street Journal that Israel or the U.S. would have to assure the Palestinians that a full-fledged agreement on permanent statehood was in the offing.

Barak also told the newspaper that Israel might seek an additional $20 billion in U.S. military aid to help it deal with potential threats arising from the turmoil in the Arab world.

While characterizing the popular upheavals in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and the Gulf as "a historic earthquake" and "quite inspired," Barak said Israel was worried that its top foes, Iran and Syria, "might be the last to feel the heat" of the revolts and that Egypt's new leaders might, under public pressure, back away from its 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

"The issue of qualitative military aid for Israel becomes more essential for us, and I believe also more essential for you," the newspaper quoted Barak as saying. "A strong, responsible Israel can become a stabilizer in such a turbulent region."

Israel already receives $3 billion in military aid a year from the U.S.

Without making a "daring" peace offer, however, Israel cannot seek additional aid, Barak was quoted as saying.

To that end, Netanyahu is likely to offer the Palestinians a state with temporary borders, and only afterward, would the two sides would resolve key issues of the conflict, such as competing claims to Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees.

No details of the plan were given.

A Netanyahu spokesman, Mark Regev, said Barak's remark "can stand on its own." The prime minister is said to be planning a speech - possibly to be delivered in Washington - in which he will outline his plans.

The Palestinians flatly reject the idea of an interim accord as a way out of the current negotiations deadlock. Not only would they receive less territory than they demand, but Israel would also retain military control of the area.

They are also afraid that it they agree to temporary borders, then they will never win a full-fledged, independent state.

Israeli troops along Jordan

Netanyahu also vowed on Tuesday that Israeli troops would remain on the border between Jordan and the West Bank under any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

Speaking to reporters as he toured Israeli military facilities along the Jordan river, Netanyahu said only Israeli troops would be able stop militants and rockets from infiltrating into the West Bank.

"Our security border is here on the Jordan and our defense line begins here. If that line is breached they will be able to infiltrate terrorists, rockets and missiles all the way to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheva and the whole state," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said he fears that the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Jordan valley would see a repeat of the situation where Israel pulled out from southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, only to come under rocket attack from these area.

"So in any future situation and in any future agreement, the IDF (army) will have to be deployed along the Jordan. That is the insurance policy of the state of Israel," he said.

Netanyahu said strong security measures were vital to ensure a peace agreement, particularly given the turmoil and uncertainty in the region, which he termed "a political and security earthquake."

"In this situation we have to ensure, even more than usual, that we have solid security foundations to defend the state of Israel."

The Palestinians have expressed fierce opposition to having any Israeli troops remain on any land that is part of a future Palestinian state.

His remarks came just days after Israeli press reports suggested Netanyahu was planning a new political initiative which would see the establishment of a Palestinian state in temporary borders as a way to restart stalled peace talks.

Talks broke down just weeks after resuming on September 2 when Israel refused to renew a partial freeze on settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinians refuse to negotiate while Israel builds on land it wants for a future state.