Israeli political analysts say Mr. Lieberman’s appointment could damage ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts due to his hawkish stance on security and disparaging comments about Palestinians.
Advertisement
The P.A., which enjoys strong support in the worldwide community, supports the idea of a fresh global effort to lay out parameters of a final settlement of the drawn-out conflict.
Jamal Dajani, the director of communications for Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, later said direct talks with Israel would not occur.
In 2001, the former nightclub bouncer advocated bombing the Aswan Dam in Egypt, accusing Israel’s Arab neighbour of supporting a Palestinian uprising. The initiative calls for a multilateral worldwide conference later this year to jump-start peace talks.
“It doesn’t get to fruition through worldwide diktats or committees … seeking to decide our fate and our security when they have no direct stake in it”.
The Palestinians have welcomed the French proposal.
Instead, Netanayhu said, he would be willing to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “in Paris or wherever”, and hold face-to-face negotiations without worldwide mediation. “Every hard issue will be on the table: mutual recognition, incitement, borders, refugees and yes, settlements – everything”.
Lieberman went from being chief of staff to Netanyahu in his first term as premier in the 1990s, to openly feuding with him while serving as his foreign minister in the last government, to mocking him from the opposition. This development if takes place may cause more hard attitude towards the Palestinians people.
“This sends a clear message to that world about Israel’s intentions over the coming years”, he said.
“Netanyahu’s travel was paid for by Jewish institutions overseas, and these trips were important for Israel, as he was able to raise tens of millions of dollars for the state speaking overseas, as well as speaking to foreign media and helping present Israel’s case”.
“In light of the attorney general’s examination into these and other matters there are issues related to the subject which the state comptroller can not examine in the context of this report”, it said.
In contrast, the Israeli premier noted that direct negotiations were “how we [achieved] peace with Jordan and before that this is how we [achieved] peace with Egypt. And both peace treaties, achieved through direct negotiations, have stood the test of time”. The US which has acted as mediator in the past has agreed to the Paris talks. “The existence of this government brings a real threat of instability and extremism in the region”, Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat told AFP, adding that the appointment would “result in apartheid, racism and religious and political extremism”.
“I am sorry that you are the one who slammed the door”.
Advertisement
However, had Herzog and the Zionist Union joined the government or had Ya’alon remained in his position as defense minister, the prospects for peace or for greater respect for Palestinian rights would not have been much better.
