Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., May 03, 2009 Iyyar 9, 5769 | | Israel Time: 08:11 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Focus U.S.A. Travel Week's End Anglo File TLV 100
Last update - 22:03 22/04/2009
Lieberman: Right of return makes Arab plan unacceptable
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and The Associated Press
Tags: Barak, Arab peace plan 

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday his opposition to an Arab peace initiative stemmed from its demand for a "right of return" for Palestinian refugees to Israel proper.

"The clause on the right of return cannot be agreed to," he declared at a cabinet meeting on the government's diplomatic policy.

"This is a subject upon which there is wide agreement in the government and in the public as well."
Advertisement

Lieberman's criticism of various peace efforts has stoked consternation in Israel and abroad.

The firebrand rightist was earlier quoted by Army Radio as branding the Arab plan, which was launched in Saudi Arabia and offers pan-Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from Arab lands, as "a dangerous proposal, a recipe for the destruction of Israel."

After Lieberman ruled out the initiative, Defense Minister Ehud Barak reiterated the importance of seeking a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement.

"An Israeli program for a comprehensive regional accord is the main line of Israeli policy for the coming years, and secures Israel's future in the region," Barak said in closed meetings.

He added: "Israel needs to formulate with the United States the details of this initiative, which also includes guarantees for Israel's security interests, the security components and Jewish character of the state - without the right of return."

In Lieberman's first comprehensive interview on foreign policy since taking office, the foreign minister said the Obama Administration will put forth new peace initiatives only if Israel wants it to.

U.S. President Barak Obama, meanwhile, wishes to take up parts of the Arab peace initiative, and to request Israel and the Arab states begin implementing them gradually. The Americans believe that this will increase the trust and encourage progress on the direct Israeli-Palestinian track.

Haim Ramon, a lawmaker from the centrist opposition party Kadima, Wednesday called Lieberman's positions ridiculous.

"They do damage to Israel because they unnecessarily cause tension in the
relations with the U.S.," he said.

Labor MK Ophir Pines-Paz issued a similar condemnation of the foreign minister's comments. "Lieberman is behaving like an elephant in a china shop, and is causing strategic damage to the State of Israel," he said.

Pines-Paz said Lieberman was damaging the dialogue between Israel and the Obama administration. "In light of Lieberman's remarks, it is not certain whether there is any point in a Netanyahu-Obama meeting."

He was referring to the White House announcement on Tuesday that Obama has invited Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders for separate talks in the next few weeks on the Middle East peace process.


Related articles:
  • Lieberman: Israel is changing its policies on peace
  • Livni to Mitchell: We don't gain from stagnant peace process
  • U.S. reiterates 2-state solution after Lieberman remarks
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Israel's new U.S. envoy
    Michael Oren beats competition to be appointed ambassador to Washington
    Hamas and terror
    Gaza ruler Haniyeh urges European community to remove group from terror watch list
      1.   You can dig in all you want.... 11:17  |  Welshman 22/04/09
      2.   Drop USA from This Plan 11:22  |  Ronald 22/04/09
      3.   How does Hamas and Hezballah build Israelis confidence in them? 11:23  |  Alan SA 22/04/09
      4.   Barak obviously doesn`t agree with the "Arab initiative". 11:59  |  redbourn 22/04/09
      5.   Nu, the stage is set.... 12:02  |  Esther 22/04/09
      6.   Giant step backwards 12:37  |  Colin 22/04/09
      7.   hey I got an idea too 12:53  |  rm 22/04/09
      8.   WELSHMAN`S INTERPRETATIONS 13:13  |  Brant 22/04/09
      9.   Name the other state, Name the other people! 13:21  |  Paul 22/04/09
      10.   Barak reiterates value of regional peace plan 13:22  |  Nili 22/04/09
      11.   Would Colin, 6, agree that the Bibi/Libi regime models Brezhnev`s 13:35  |  Ivar 22/04/09
      12.   Pray to who #5 13:50  |  Paul 22/04/09
      13.   Welshman who didn`t agree on admitting 5 million Chinese 14:07  |  Absolute Sweden 22/04/09
      14.   Of course....#2 14:20  |  PR 22/04/09
      15.   Brant 14:26  |  Welshman 22/04/09
      16.   AlanSA How can israel build Hamas & Hezbollah confidence in them? 14:28  |  American in NY 22/04/09
      17.   Peace is an illusion in the region 14:31  |  Brod 22/04/09
      18.   sorry absolute sweden 14:33  |  Welshman 22/04/09
      19.   Of course !! 14:36  |  Sa* 22/04/09
      20.   Of course !! 14:42  |  Sam Soul 22/04/09
      21.   He is right- Right of Return should only be to Palestine proper 14:42  |  Jo 22/04/09
      22.   #16 In NY ,a nudnik is a person who answers a Q with another Q 14:46  |  Alan SA 22/04/09
      23.   Sorry ,illiterate Welshman,it`s your Brit education which 14:54  |  Absolute Sweden 22/04/09
      24.   Looks like Israel is heading 14:54  |  Chris Linthwaite 22/04/09
      25.   None Of My Business... 14:56  |  Yosemite 22/04/09
      26.   Lieberman proves yet again that he is a racist. 15:01  |  Matty Groves 22/04/09
      27.   Right of return 15:09  |  JW 22/04/09
      28.   Welshman 15:09  |  Mongo 22/04/09
      29.   Lieberman`s action is in Accordance..... 15:09  |  The Archives 22/04/09
      30.   Jews must have right of return 15:22  |  Jeff 22/04/09
      31.   Obama´s mistake 15:27  |  Rogerio Schneider 22/04/09
      32.   Welshman May be this time you can understand 15:32  |  Aby 22/04/09
      33.   matty groves 15:39  |  newyorkone 22/04/09
      34.   Welshman Comparin apples and parrots 15:40  |  Aby 22/04/09
      35.   RE: Matty, you don`t get it 15:59  |  judith 22/04/09
      36.   The Saudi "initiative" 16:02  |  Christopher 22/04/09
      37.   Liberman 16:18  |  Baruch 22/04/09
      38.   Moving the dialog forward 16:20  |  Mike 22/04/09
      39.   There is no inheritable right of return anywhere 16:29  |  Jess Ghannam 22/04/09
      40.   Lieberman knows full well that... 16:33  |  Esther 22/04/09
      41.   Lieberman 16:41  |  Michael 22/04/09
      42.   Linthwaite: "Israel heading for confrontation" 16:51  |  Arie 22/04/09
      43.   Matty 16:51  |  Ari 22/04/09
      44.   # 32 Esther 17:08  |  Giora Me`ir 22/04/09
      45.   Israel is unnaceptable for Iran,too. 17:19  |  Wolf 22/04/09
      46.   Racist Leftie Esther from TA,stipulating arabs`re dumber than her 17:42  |  Absolute Sweden 22/04/09
      47.   Right of return for the Jews? 17:43  |  Ricardo 22/04/09
      48.   Giora from NY,Peres has tried to interpret the S.Plan the way you 17:46  |  Absolute Sweden 22/04/09
      49.   Why not substitute right of retrn for financial compensation? 17:50  |  Mahdi 22/04/09
      50.   Mr. Lieberman provides a fresh example of a hutzpah. 18:03  |  Adam 22/04/09
      51.   to newyorkone 18:08  |  yonatan 22/04/09
      52.   Ari - Good to hear 18:09  |  Matty Groves 22/04/09
      53.   THE Right of return is the Trojan horse to give Arabs thru peace 18:11  |  PETER SM 22/04/09
      54.   Thank you Ricardo 18:11  |  yonatan 22/04/09
      55.   I agree with Lieberman on this 18:58  |  Mark 22/04/09
      56.   Test the Saudis,ask them to open Mekka,where Abra 18:59  |  Absolute Sweden 22/04/09
      57.   #38 - what trouble is Israel in exactly? 19:07  |  redbourn 22/04/09
      58.   Plan 19:13  |  Ted 22/04/09
      59.   Giora #41... you`re an optimist... 19:20  |  Esther 22/04/09
      60.   Once and for aa, Israel have to rethink and make public 19:28  |  Giora 22/04/09
      61.   Kudos to Mr. Lieberman 19:42  |  JP 22/04/09
      62.   Comprehensive Peace Is No Peace At All 19:59  |  Binyamin 22/04/09
      63.   Lieberman makes a simple statement: no "right of return" 20:11  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/04/09
      64.   Esther 37, don`t be so sure 20:12  |  DavidAK 22/04/09
      65.   The Israeli Republic of Free Palestine 20:14  |  Lasmarch 22/04/09
      66.   newyorkone 40 20:56  |  potobac 22/04/09
      67.   Ari - Good to hear 21:01  |  Matty Groves 22/04/09
      68.   Judith - What Trite! 21:02  |  Matty Groves 22/04/09
      69.   Newyorkone - No 21:04  |  Matty Groves 22/04/09
      70.   Arab plan doesn`t acknowledge the step by step approach 21:21  |  Sarah 22/04/09
      71.   re: ricardo 21:26  |  al 22/04/09
      72.   Read Matty`s comments! Great points! 21:29  |  p.man 22/04/09
      73.   Rejection of right to return 21:31  |  Joe 22/04/09
      74.   #26, Matty Groves 21:38  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/04/09
      75.   wrong, Matty Groves 22:00  |  yonatan 22/04/09
      76.   Matty Groves 22:16  |  Philippe 22/04/09
      77.   #26 Matty Groves 22:18  |  Giora 22/04/09
      78.   Binyamin #48 22:29  |  Hank 22/04/09
      79.   They renounced Israel and left voluntarily.They wanted to leave 23:13  |  Armando 22/04/09
      80.   Why do ignorant people continue to inaccurately call it Palestine 23:35  |  David 22/04/09
      81.   There is NO legal right of return...read the UN resolution 23:37  |  David 22/04/09
      82.   Israel has offered peace for 100 years. Arabs have offered war 23:38  |  David 22/04/09
      83.   Esther..TA 23:53  |  Malone 22/04/09
      84.   It doesn`t matter what YOU think Matty Groves 00:10  |  Meo 23/04/09
      85.   Giora 00:41  |  Matty Groves 23/04/09
      86.   armando 79 21:48  |  potobac 23/04/09
     Haaretz Hot Topics
    Durban II conference
    Air strike in Sudan
    Israel 2009 election results: Voter breakdown
    Israel vs. Hamas
    Iran: Nuclear and regional ambitions
    More Headlines
    08:08 Israel will agree to quit northern border village
    08:09 Third Israeli diagnosed with swine flu
    03:56 'Ground zero' swine flu village gets new facilities, but few answers
    23:17 Netanyahu candidate Michael Oren tapped as U.S. envoy
    05:26 Four settlers held for firing at West Bank village
    04:43 How many cigarettes is a dead Jew worth?
    07:29 Brazil dismisses Israeli protests over Ahmadinejad visit
    21:58 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel
    04:49 IAF hits Gaza tunnels; Palestinians say 2 die
    05:24 Gilad Shalit's father met top U.S., Red Cross officials
    05:31 Spate of teen stabbings rocks Rishon Letzion
    05:40 El Al launches third daily flight to London
    05:53 Israeli documentary on anti-Semitism gets special nod in U.S.
    Previous Editions
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Spring Specials-Dan Hotels
    Jerusalem from 179$. Tel-Aviv from 223$. Herzliya from 336$
    The Meier on Rothschild Tower
    Masterpiece Residence in the Heart of Tel Aviv
    Dead Sea Skin Care
    Quality cosmetics from the Dead Sea. Coupon code HAARETZ for 12% off!
    Camp Kimama Israel 2009
    The best place for your children this summer
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Jewish Singles Personal Ads
    Find the love of your life on JDate.com
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | | Israel 2009 election results
    Site rules | Makom: Engaging on Israel | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved