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Last update - 00:11 08/04/2009
U.S. reiterates 2-state solution after Lieberman remarks
By Barak Ravid and Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Tags: avigdor lieberman 

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday that Western-backed
peace efforts with the Palestinians had reached a "dead end" and that Israel intended to present new ideas for diplomacy, prompting a response from the State Department re-emphasizing the American goal of establishing two states.

"There is definitely a regression here and we must understand and admit that we are at a dead end," Lieberman told members of Yisrael Beiteinu during a party meeting. "We definitely intend to present new ideas."
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The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman also said that he planned to remain foreign minister for at least "four and a half years," and vowed that his faction would stay a central component of the current government coalition until the next round of elections.

The State Department did not react directly to Lieberman's statements, preferring instead to reiterate Washington's commitment to a two-state solution.

"We are going to hear comments from various parties about how they assess things," State Department spokesperson Robert Wood said. "The important objective for us is to get this process back on track so that we can get to this two-state solution that we think is in the best interests of not only the Israelis and the Palestinians, but the United States and the rest of the world."

Lieberman's comments came a day after U.S. President Barack Obama, on his first long presidential visit abroad, said that he believed peace in the Middle East as long as Israelis and Palestinians each make compromises.

"I think we have a sense of what those compromises should be and will be. Now what we need is political will and courage on the part of leadership," Obama told a students meeting in Istanbul at the end of a two-day visit to Turkey.

In response to these remarks, Lieberman said Tuesday that external bodies must cease pressuring Israel with regard to the peace process.

"[Israel] has never gotten involved in the business of other, and I expected the same, that nobody will stand there with a stopwatch in hand," Lieberman told members of his party.

"They must let us develop a serious and responsible plan. People have begun working with vigor on developing new ideas," he said. We are working together with the prime minister, and we have no underhanded intentions to build an agenda of our own. We must work together, because these are big challenges."

At the handover ceremony at the Foreign Ministry last week, Lieberman sounded an aggressive foreign policy stance, emphasizing that the new government is not bound by the Annapolis process, under which former prime minister Ehud Olmert and former foreign minister Tzipi Livni conducted negotiations with the Palestinian Authority on the core issues of a final-status arrangement.

Lieberman later told Haaretz that he was "committed to the road map" as approved by the cabinet, despite having opposed it during the 2003 vote.

"Israel undertook obligations regarding the road map and it will honor them, but there must be reciprocity," he told Haaretz in an interview earlier this week.

"Unlike others, we will carry out everything that is in writing, and there will be no contradiction between what we say and what we mean, but we will stick to the phased nature of the road map," he said.

"We will conduct talks with the PA, but we want to make sure their 'checks' don't bounce. The Palestinians must first of all confront terror, take control of Gaza and demilitarize Hamas. Without these, it will be difficult to move forward."

Meanwhile, Police questioned Lieberman on Tuesday morning for approximately five hours as part of a corruption probe against him for the third time since he took office as foreign minister.

Police believe the Yisrael Beiteinu leader will need to be questioned once more before fraud squad detectives can complete their work and hand over material from the investigation to the State Prosecutor's Office.

Related articles:
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      1.   That`ll certainly be a change. 20:21  |  Colin Wright 07/04/09
      2.   Road Map...... 20:29  |  Fivish 07/04/09
      3.   The "old idea" of UN Security Council Resolution 242, as is... 20:46  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 07/04/09
      4.   Silly! 20:53  |  Palestinian 07/04/09
      5.   LIEBERMAN IS 100% RIGHT! 21:37  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 07/04/09
      6.   Lieberman.... 21:39  |  Silvienne 07/04/09
      7.   Israel will do whats right, Hamas will never agree 21:41  |  Shepherd 07/04/09
      8.   Lieberman is correct 21:48  |  Baruch Gold 07/04/09
      9.   Give them some time... 21:54  |  Colin Wright 07/04/09
      10.   Glenna...where art thou.? 22:04  |  Stephen. 07/04/09
      11.   Israel has never gotten in the business 22:16  |  Dave Duncan 07/04/09
      12.   #4 Palestinian: a couple of silly questions for you 22:26  |  Daniel 07/04/09
      13.   Palestinian 22:28  |  Edifice 07/04/09
      14.   "cease pressuring Israel" You go Lieberman!Stand your ground and 22:28  |  glenna 07/04/09
      15.   That was Quick 22:33  |  Mark of Lewiston 07/04/09
      16.   Israel at a Dead End, Not Peace 22:49  |  Binyamin 07/04/09
      17.   I agree with #3, 2 states, not 3 or 4 22:55  |  David 07/04/09
      18.   Just what we expected Lieberman to say... nothing new... 22:57  |  Esther 07/04/09
      19.   #4, Silly, Lieberman doesnt call for Arabs, moving, Arabs do 22:59  |  David 07/04/09
      20.   Lieberman says.... 23:06  |  Esther 07/04/09
      21.   Lieberman is right. 23:08  |  Muslim 07/04/09
      22.   Oh Goodie, we got ourselves a Comedian 23:08  |  A Bethlehemite 07/04/09
      23.   outside intervention is 40 years overdue, lieberman!(2nd try) 23:16  |  eric 07/04/09
      24.   Resolution 242 23:27  |  Sir Humphrey 07/04/09
      25.   Finally - A zionist gov`t for the Jewish State 23:28  |  kobi 07/04/09
      26.   Silly! Palestinian 23:34  |  Reality Check 07/04/09
      27.   To Palestinian 23:39  |  Yosi 07/04/09
      28.   ATTN: Palestinian 23:41  |  Aaron 07/04/09
      29.   Arab in Jerusalem being silly 23:42  |  peter 07/04/09
      30.   Lieberman is the man 23:46  |  Ian 07/04/09
      31.   #3 UN Resolution 242 23:52  |  Albrecht Klein 07/04/09
      32.   This guy is good - much better than what the lefty press portrays 00:02  |  Mongo 08/04/09
      33.   The idea ... 00:02  |  Jamie 08/04/09
      34.   I Think 00:06  |  Ron 08/04/09
      35.   Can the police please keep Lieberman busy so he can cause no harm 00:08  |  Markus Grafenburg 08/04/09
      36.   Lieberman heard Obama speaking from Ankara only partially 00:14  |  Yesh Prabhu 08/04/09
      37.   Fish or cut bate. 00:18  |  Hanna 08/04/09
      38.   Let`s do just one state then, Lieberman 00:42  |  David 08/04/09
      39.   Lieberman`s reaction Pes.Obama 00:50  |  Yochanan Hardisty 08/04/09
      40.   To which road map is Leiberman committed? 00:52  |  Maureen Ann 08/04/09
      41.   This is diplomacy 01:02  |  Axel 08/04/09
      42.   #4 Which occupation are you talking about...? 01:09  |  Commentateur.. 08/04/09
      43.   Liberman comments 01:16  |  VJ 08/04/09
      44.   A serious peace plan 01:19  |  Frank 08/04/09
      45.   NO to intrusion 01:29  |  Brod 08/04/09
      46.   Palestinians Should Have Taken Olmert`s offers 01:39  |  Slappy 08/04/09
      47.   Palestinians can`t be bribed 01:49  |  George Jochnowitz 08/04/09
      48.   A ROYAL BATTLE 01:59  |  Ed 08/04/09
      49.   The road map. 02:05  |  Jose Marcio 08/04/09
      50.   #4 - you don`t speak for Hamas which refuses to accept Israel! 02:10  |  redbourn 08/04/09
      51.   #3 You must have the Hebrew version of 242, Jehudah 02:14  |  Johnboy 08/04/09
      52.   NO TO AN 8 MILE WIDE COUNTRY! NO TO DIVIDING TINY ISRAEL! 02:26  |  Jae 08/04/09
      53.   The 2-state solution-let`s get with it!! 02:27  |  Reality check 08/04/09
      54.   Dream On, Jehudah - It Ain`t Gonna Happen 02:36  |  chet 08/04/09
      55.   Lieberman has no memory 02:41  |  old zionist activist 08/04/09
      56.   No More Stupid Deadlines Or Stopwatches 02:45  |  Jeff Northridge 08/04/09
      57.   The 2-State solution is not going to help the US image 03:14  |  Akram Zekaria 08/04/09
      58.   #21 Thanks for the laugh, Jeff! 03:33  |  Johnboy 08/04/09
      59.   to Johnboy 03:34  |  ben 08/04/09
      60.   to 4-Palestinian : There is nothing silly if only 04:03  |  Akram Zekaria 08/04/09
      61.   to 5- Maureen Ann " To which road etc.." 04:08  |  Akram Zekaria 08/04/09
      62.   liberman 04:25  |  gershon 08/04/09
      63.   It`s not the size Jae, it`s how you use it... 04:51  |  BBSNews 08/04/09
      64.   Brod, you`re a has been, Bush is gone... 05:00  |  BBSNews 08/04/09
      65.   redbourn, what Israel do you recognize? 05:05  |  BBSNews 08/04/09
      66.   to #26 Kadima was begging Lieberman to join their government 05:16  |  Jason 08/04/09
      67.   Israel: I`ll agree to anything in principle. Just leave me alone 09:02  |  Natallie Durson 08/04/09
      68.   #40 more b/s from michael who knows no treaties ? 09:34  |  v hardman 08/04/09
      69.   Reality check ?! really ? off in la la land... 09:35  |  Akiva P 08/04/09
      70.   Jeff Northridge, thanks for making sense ! 09:38  |  Akiva P 08/04/09
      71.   #26 you must have the destroy ISRAEL version of 242 johnyboy 10:00  |  Ari ben Yisrael 08/04/09
      72.   Re: UN Resolution 242 11:09  |  Or Can 08/04/09
      73.   LET HIM GOES TO EU 11:20  |  indrajaya 08/04/09
      74.   To Yosi 11:23  |  Sam Soul 08/04/09
      75.   You`re right #20 13:00  |  Sam Soul 08/04/09
      76.   Johnboy # 33 Laugh All You Like 13:40  |  Jeff Northridge 08/04/09
      77.   to Jeff 14:01  |  Sam Soul 08/04/09
      78.   As per Uri Avnery, on Pesach eve... 15:01  |  Esther 08/04/09
      79.   johnboy "a golly good idea" (sic) 18:10  |  harzion 08/04/09
      80.   Brod - The US is also a sovereign country 18:41  |  American (Real) 08/04/09
      81.   # 46 ari 18:41  |  Axel 08/04/09
      82.   Frank: so in summary, they should surrender 18:42  |  AT 08/04/09
      83.   Let me be clear on this... 19:13  |  Shimon Cleopas 08/04/09
      84.   axel and gdp and american help for israel 19:58  |  erwin honigstein 08/04/09
      85.   American (Real) # 52 Israel Is An Ally Of The U.S. 19:59  |  Jeff Northridge 08/04/09
      86.   axel and palestinian sovreiginity 20:01  |  erwin honigstein 08/04/09
      87.   # 57 erwin 20:31  |  Axel 08/04/09
      88.   # 59 erwin 20:34  |  Axel 08/04/09
      89.   The roadmap to mideast peace goes through Moscow 21:09  |  Voice of Reason 08/04/09
      90.   hardman on the san remo festival 22:35  |  shehrezade fols 08/04/09
      91.   Pals will screw it up again. 23:02  |  August West 08/04/09
      92.   The times are changing. 23:35  |  BazMann 08/04/09
      93.   #65 A SPECTRE FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS 00:21  |  v hardman 09/04/09
      94.   v hardman 43 00:34  |  potobac 09/04/09
      95.   The Only Solution to satisfy everybody!!!! 01:40  |  Sumayah 09/04/09
      96.   #53 Ari ben Yisrael 01:43  |  Johnboy 09/04/09
      97.   #61 harzion says...... 02:26  |  Johnboy 09/04/09
      98.   potobac # 76 The San Remo Conference 02:37  |  Jeff Northridge 09/04/09
      99.   #58 So sorry, Jeff, but that is only one of the options 02:45  |  Johnboy 09/04/09
      100.   #87 Where Jeff slips up 03:07  |  Johnboy 09/04/09
      101.   Further to Jeff`s post #58 04:58  |  Johnboy 09/04/09
      102.   Johnboy # 90 That Is False 05:24  |  Jeff Northridge 09/04/09
      103.   How to get out of Iraq, Afganistan, etc 06:20  |  Shimon Cleopas 09/04/09
      104.   DA JA VOUS - again and again and again and again... 08:31  |  Christopher 09/04/09
      105.   A change nothing like it before & after ! 09:17  |  Akram Zekaria 09/04/09
      106.   #102, Jeff Northridge 09:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/04/09
      107.   Peac is in benefit of Israel 14:14  |  Shafiq 09/04/09
      108.   axel "stupid jew" 15:00  |  erwin honigstein 09/04/09
      109.   M Klein - Its Israelis who are deluded 16:05  |  Don 09/04/09
      110.   #102 Jeff forgets Israeli history 17:17  |  Johnboy 09/04/09
      111.   Commentateur - reliance on past glory foolish 17:30  |  Don 09/04/09
      112.   Jeff Northridge - convoluted theory 18:11  |  Don 09/04/09
      113.   Johnboy # 105 Those Were Invasions And Not Occupations 18:29  |  Jeff Northridge 09/04/09
      114.   Only 1 threat required - no more vetoes 20:51  |  Don 09/04/09
      115.   The only reasonable argument against UNSC Resolution 242 is: 21:07  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 09/04/09
      116.   This fragile present Government .. 21:24  |  Akram Zekaria 09/04/09
      117.   Australian Opposition to Israel 21:38  |  sfg 09/04/09
      118.   Israel has no choice. 00:07  |  a wandering Jew 10/04/09
      119.   Don # 110 Serpentine Convolution Is The Name Of The Game In ME 00:19  |  Jeff Northridge 10/04/09
      120.   Israel has no choice. 00:45  |  a wandering Jew 10/04/09
      121.   Lieberman is the dead-end 02:39  |  binny 10/04/09
      122.   to Johnboy -96 You can not repackage the Araba. 02:47  |  Akram Zekaria 10/04/09
      123.   # 119, BINNY 05:00  |  indrajaya 10/04/09
      124.   To Don Who`s misunderstanding and mixing apples with orenges . 20:45  |  Whiskey 10/04/09
      125.   To 117 09:30  |  iggie 11/04/09
      126.   Two State "Solution" 20:24  |  mom 19/04/09
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