Quote of the day
“Whoever thinks that through concessions peace will be achieved is mistaken. He is only inviting pressure and more wars.”
- Israel’s right-wing foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman, who stunned diplomats in his first speech yesterday when he rejected the past year of US-led negotiations and said that a previous commitment Israel made to Palestinian statehood “had no validity”. A foreign ministry official tried to play down the importance of the speech, but an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has already said in response that “this minister is an obstacle to peace. Nothing obliges us to deal with a racist person hostile to peace.” (full story HERE)
Witanagemot Blogs
Is he a racist? I know he wants a totalitarianish ‘loyalty oath’ but he isn’t racist enough to advocate the death penalty for jews selling land to palestinians, unlike the PA, which is happy to execute those who sell to jews…
Not a fan of Avigor Lieberman, but that statement doesn’t seem that outrageous to me. It isn’t the whole picture, but although Israeli concessions are necessary for peace they aren’t sufficient.
Israel conceded pretty much everything in it’s dispute with Lebanon about a decade ago yet they were still attacked by Hezbollah, and if they withdraw from all of the occupied territories with no enforcable guarantees from the Palestinians then they will be attacked from there in a few years.
Ross, guarantees from both sides will surely be necessary but I fear that having a right-wing government in Israel makes this prospect seem ever more distant.
Shaun, even if he’s not racist he certainly doesn’t sound very open minded!
Maybe. But you don’t make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies. Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley, both involved in or on the edge of paramilitarism (esp if you subscribe to the ‘Blackball committee’ rumours) were implacable foes but they could bring, from their extremes, all of their community towards the centre ground for peace in ways the SDLP and the UUP could not. I know the NI analogy is trite but here, I only use it as an example of my point about enemies, not friends, being the people who make peace. Friendship comes later, if you’re lucky…
@ LFAT:
I fear that having a right-wing government in Israel makes this prospect seem ever more distant.
How silly.
In 1977 Israel withdrew from the Sinai under Likud, a right wing government.
In 1985 Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon. The withdrawal occurred under Labor but the treaty by which the withdrawal was agreed was signed 17 May 1983 under Yitzhak Shamir who was Likud.
In the 1990s, Israel, under Benjamin Netanyahu (of Likud), withdrew from Hebron, and signed the Wye River Memorandum, giving greater control to the Palestinian National Authority.
In 2000 Israel withdrew from the narrow security zone in Lebanon under Labour.
In 2005 Israel withdrew from Gaza under Likud/Kadima
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Now there’s a saying, Only Nixon could go to China.
I wonder if that has any bearing???
TDK, I’m not doubting that – I am merely working on the evidence presented thus far by the new Israeli government. I cannot express in words how much I want them to help find a solution, but walking into government and throwing out the last year’s worth of peace efforts is not exactly promising.
A solution won’t be found until both sides recognize their bad sides.
The Palestinian politicians revel in their victim status, and blame Israel for it – somewhat forgetting getting booted out Jordan for trying to create a revolt, and getting booted out of Kuwait for siding with Sadaam – whilst the Israelis frequently abuse their position of strength.
The roots of this conflict are over 80 years old – the Hebron massacre, the birthing of Palestinian nationalism (which many on the left forget is every bit as recent as Jewish nationalism in the region) – and any genuine solution will likely take equally as long.