Zio-Nazi FM says IsraHell must talk about how to manage the conflict and not how to solve it, maintains IsraHell need not apologize to European states for calling them ‘irrelevant.’
Haaretz
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday that he does not believe a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians will be agreed upon within the next decade.
Speaking at a conference before Israeli ambassadors on Sunday, Lieberman said the Palestinians are not working toward peace but rather trying to determine the facts on the ground and internationalize the conflict. Therefore, Lieberman suggested, Israel must work to manage the conflict and not solve it.
“In the next decade, this will be the situation and we need to know how to deal with it in the best way possible for both sides,” Lieberman argued. “No territorial concession will solve the real issues: refugees, security arrangements, and Jerusalem.”
“The only change that would happen here if we return to 1967 borders would be that the Qassam and Grad rocket fire will not only come from the Gaza Strip into southern Israeli cities but also from Qalqilya into central Israel. “
Moreover, Lieberman also commented on the latest diplomatic faceoff between Israel and European countries, who harshly criticized the recent violence by rightist extremists and Israel’s settlement activity. In return, Israel’s Foreign Ministry called European countries “irrelevant.”
Lieberman said Israel does not need to apologize to European countries for the comment. “We have nothing to apologize for,” he said. “On the contrary – Israeli democracy has nothing to be ashamed of in contrast to the European democracies, and we do not need any advice from them.
“The countries who criticized us need to understand that construction in the West Bank is not an obstacle to peace and those who pose an obstacle to negotiations, and the opportunity for peace, are the Palestinians who refuse to negotiate with us.”
Israeli foreign minister slams Europe as weak on Iran sanctions
Reuters
Israel’s foreign minister questioned Europe’s commitment on Sunday to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“Unfortunately my impression is that some of the nations of Europe and senior figures there speak about sanctions more in order to calm Israel than to stop Iran’s nuclear programme,” Avigdor Lieberman said in speech to Israeli diplomats.
“And I tell you truly there is no need to calm us down. Any decision that we take shall be balanced and considered,” said Lieberman, an ultranationalist in Israel’s right-wing coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speculation that Israel may attack Iran’s nuclear facilities was fuelled by a United Nations report last month that said Tehran appeared to have worked on designing an atomic weapon.
Israel sees Iran’s nuclear programme as an existential threat. Iran says its atomic activities are intended solely for the peaceful purpose of energy production.
In the speech, Lieberman called on Europe to take immediate and “courageous decisions” on Iran, saying “this is our expectation of the international community.”
Earlier this month, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak urged Europe to impose crippling sanctions on Iran, saying it was “time for urgent, coherent, paralysing” steps targeting Tehran’s oil trade and central bank.
Barak has sought to ease suspicions Israel is planning military action against Iran and possibly keeping its main ally, the United States, in the dark.
He told Israel Radio last week he was impressed by a “change of emphasis” in Washington, where Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said “there are no options off the table” to handle Iran.
Barak has also said he still saw room for punitive, economic steps against Tehran.
