Mediocrates
05-04-2009, 06:10 AM
http://euobserver.com/9/28056
"The government of Israel, because of our democratic tradition and because of the continuity principle, is going to abide by all previous commitments the former government took, including the acceptance of the road-map to peace, which will lead to a two-state solution," deputy foreign minister Daniel Ayalon said on Sunday, ahead of Mr Lieberman's tour.
Previously, Mr Lieberman had said that the new government would not have to be bound by previous government decisions and hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until now not endorsed the two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
Mr Lieberman, a former settler in the West Bank, has already caused a stir on his first day in office when he announced that Israel was no longer bound by the decision that the previous government took at a conference in Annapolis, US in November 2007 to restart negotiations with the Palestinians.
"People try to simplify the situation with these formulas: land for peace, two-state solution," Mr. Lieberman said. "It's a lot more complicated." He added that the real reason for the deadlock "is not occupation, not settlements and not settlers." Nor, he said, is it the Palestinians. The biggest obstacle, he said, is "the Iranians."
Whereas
http://ejpress.org/article/36299
His trip to European Union countries follows a warning from Israel to the EU to limit its criticism of Netanyahu's cabinet or risk losing involvement in the Middle East peace process.
An Israeli official said Thursday the warning was issued in a series of phone conversations in recent days between the deputy director of the Israeli foreign ministry's European desk Rafi Barak and the ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany.
"Israel asks the European Union to keep a low profile and conduct a quiet dialogue... But if these declarations continue, Europe will not be able to have involvement in the peace process and both sides will lose," the senior official quoted Barak as telling the ambassadors.
"The government of Israel, because of our democratic tradition and because of the continuity principle, is going to abide by all previous commitments the former government took, including the acceptance of the road-map to peace, which will lead to a two-state solution," deputy foreign minister Daniel Ayalon said on Sunday, ahead of Mr Lieberman's tour.
Previously, Mr Lieberman had said that the new government would not have to be bound by previous government decisions and hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has until now not endorsed the two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.
Mr Lieberman, a former settler in the West Bank, has already caused a stir on his first day in office when he announced that Israel was no longer bound by the decision that the previous government took at a conference in Annapolis, US in November 2007 to restart negotiations with the Palestinians.
"People try to simplify the situation with these formulas: land for peace, two-state solution," Mr. Lieberman said. "It's a lot more complicated." He added that the real reason for the deadlock "is not occupation, not settlements and not settlers." Nor, he said, is it the Palestinians. The biggest obstacle, he said, is "the Iranians."
Whereas
http://ejpress.org/article/36299
His trip to European Union countries follows a warning from Israel to the EU to limit its criticism of Netanyahu's cabinet or risk losing involvement in the Middle East peace process.
An Israeli official said Thursday the warning was issued in a series of phone conversations in recent days between the deputy director of the Israeli foreign ministry's European desk Rafi Barak and the ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany.
"Israel asks the European Union to keep a low profile and conduct a quiet dialogue... But if these declarations continue, Europe will not be able to have involvement in the peace process and both sides will lose," the senior official quoted Barak as telling the ambassadors.