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Israel’s prime minister spelled out his opening position for the new round of Mideast peace talks set to begin next week, insisting on key security conditions and saying an agreement would be “difficult but possible.”

Benjamin Netanyahu said a future Palestinian state would have to be demilitarized, recognize Israel as the Jewish homeland and respect Israel’s security interests.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and envoy George Mitchell announce the resumption of talks. photo/ap photo/alex brandon

“We come to the talks with a genuine desire to reach a peace agreement between the two peoples, while protecting Israel’s national interests, chiefly security,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Aug. 22.

“Achieving a peace agreement between us and the Palestinian Authority is difficult but possible,” he said. “We are talking about a peace agreement between Israel and a demilitarized Palestinian state, and this state, if it is established at the end of the process … is meant to end the conflict and not to be a foundation for its continuation by other means.”

In addition, he said, the Palestinians must recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people just as Israel would recognize a homeland of the Palestinian people.

The Palestinians recognize Israel’s right to exist, but refuse to take a stand on the nature of the country. They are fearful of prejudicing the rights of Israel’s Arab minority and compromise the right of refugees to return to homes vacated during Israel’s establishment in 1948.

In the West Bank, newspapers greeted the new talks with pessimism. “Direct talks destined for failure before being launched because of Israeli hardening on continuation of settlement building,” read a headline Aug. 20 in the daily Al-Ayam, which is closely linked to the Palestinian government.

In Israel, the news of the renewal of peace talks was greeted with scant interest. One leading daily paper, Ma’ariv, mentioned it Aug. 22 only on page 10.