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Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, left, and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris on Tuesday.
(AP)
Last update - 13:36 06/05/2009
Lieberman: 'Peace industry' nothing but a waste of money
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel News 

On his first trip to Europe since entering office, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman continues to lay out his diplomatic philosophy, arguing that a break from Israel's past policies is necessary to stabilize the region.

"Nothing has come from this whole 'peace industry' except for conferences in five-star hotels and a waste of money," Lieberman told his Italian counterpart, Franco Frattini, during their meeting in Rome on Monday.

Lieberman told Frattini that between five and seven years are needed to reach a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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The Israeli foreign minister was pessimistic about the prospects of establishing a Palestinian state. He repeated his assertion that "two states for two peoples" had become a clichéd slogan that was tailored for newspaper headlines.

During his talks with Frattini, Lieberman also recalled his experiences living in the West Bank settlement of Nokdim.

"I'm a settler and I live in the Judean desert," Lieberman told Frattini. "I speak with Palestinians who work near us and I hear that what they want is to earn a living and lead a decent life."

Lieberman added that the Palestinians are dismissive of their leaders' efforts to reach a political solution. It was at this point that the foreign minister delved into what he called "the peace industry."

"This is a process with no results," Lieberman said. "Everyone is earning a living off of it. There are conferences and there are meetings in five-star hotels. Do you know how much money has been spent on this? And what has come of it?"

Lieberman spoke glowingly of the "Cypriot model" ? which includes an exchange of populations - as a possible template for a solution to the Middle East impasse. In the 1970s, the Mediterranean island was partitioned in two, with Turks in the north and Greeks in the south. "Since then, there has been security, economic prosperity, and stability," Lieberman said of Cyprus. "When we have [such a solution] in our region then we can talk about a political solution. Everything before this will simply fail."

Lieberman told Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that world powers should take action against Iran if it does not curb its controversial nuclear program by August.

"It is important that dialogue with Iran be limited in time, and if after three months it is clear the Iranians are prevaricating and not halting their nuclear program, the international community must take active steps," an aide quoted Lieberman as telling Berlusconi.

Israel, which says a nuclear-armed Iran would be a mortal threat, has endorsed Western efforts to engage its arch-foe in talks. But Israeli leaders have also hinted at pre-emptive military strikes if they decide that diplomacy has failed.

Other Israeli officials have said that the UN Security Council, which has already passed sanctions against Iran, should consider imposing more crippling measures.

Lieberman's statement was the first time Netanyahu's government has publicly signaled a timeline for action against Iran.

Iran, seen by Netanyahu as a real threat to Israel and a top priority, also was discussed during the meeting between Lieberman and Kouchner, who explained that France and its partners were doing all they can to get Tehran to suspend its nuclear program.

Iran denies seeking nuclear arms and has so far shrugged off foreign pressure. Six world powers led by the United States have invited it to talks, but contacts have so far been limited, and Iran has continued to insist it will not give up uranium enrichment, which it says is for power generation.

Israel says the enrichment program could provide enough fissile material for a bomb with months. American assessments say that threshold may be years away.

In Italy Lieberman stressed that the new Israeli government was still developing its foreign policy, which Netanyahu is expected to unveil before talks with American President Barack Obama in mid-May.

After Lieberman arrived in Paris from Rome, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted his motorcade as he was entering the ministry. The right-wing politician has frayed some diplomatic nerves with statements viewed as anti-Arab.

An Associated Press Television News cameraman on the scene said two demonstrators dressed as tourists blocked the street just as Lieberman's motorcade was pulling onto ministry grounds. Riot police were seen detaining two people and chasing others away from the ministry.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman Tuesday that restarting Middle East peace talks is urgent and that building new Israeli settlements must end.

Kouchner delivered the message while meeting with Lieberman on his first tour of Europe since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government took office April 1.

Kouchner recalled the expectations of France, in particular the creation of a viable Palestinian state coexisting in peace and security with Israel, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the talks. He also asked for a complete halt to settlement building, the statement said.


France also stressed the need for a permanent reopening to passages to the Gaza Strip to ease the economic and humanitarian situation there.

Lieberman made no comments after the meeting, and journalists were asked to leave the ministry.


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      1.   What kind of exchange? 10:01  |  Kilminster 06/05/09
      2.   The Cypriot Model 10:03  |  Moshe 06/05/09
      3.   Too much truth for people to handle 10:07  |  Baruch Gold 06/05/09
      4.   .... because Lieberman will be out-of-job... 10:15  |  Esther 06/05/09
      5.   #1 kilminster and fact 100 years apart!! what stolen land ? 10:15  |  vhardman 06/05/09
      6.   #5 1920 Jewish State 10:42  |  Thomas 06/05/09
      7.   I love it 10:43  |  Hezi 06/05/09
      8.   #5 That`s news to me, victor 10:45  |  Johnboy 06/05/09
      9.   #vhardman 10:45  |  Kilminster 06/05/09
      10.   3 Months! OOOH! SCARY! 10:51  |  Rachel 06/05/09
      11.   At last some real words and not just slogans .. 10:51  |  redbourn 06/05/09
      12.   #4 - what does you post mean? 10:55  |  redbourn 06/05/09
      13.   Waste of money ? 11:06  |  Sam Soul 06/05/09
      14.   Moshe #2 11:24  |  Michael 06/05/09
      15.   Thank You Lieberman 11:52  |  B 06/05/09
      16.   #8 - many of us studied pre-20th century history 12:31  |  redbourn 06/05/09
      17.   Sam #12...hear. hear.... 12:46  |  Esther 06/05/09
      18.   right 13:01  |  rm 06/05/09
      19.   Peace Now - Where do I send my Money. 13:12  |  Razi 06/05/09
      20.   reminiscent 13:23  |  potobac 06/05/09
      21.   Lieberman 13:23  |  Lisa Javner 06/05/09
      22.   Yvet and the Peace Industry 13:25  |  Ussishkin 06/05/09
      23.   # 16 redbourn 13:29  |  Axel 06/05/09
      24.   Why not cripling measure to make Israel sign NPT-treaty? 13:31  |  Lewis 06/05/09
      25.   Michael #14 13:31  |  Moshe 06/05/09
      26.   Kol hakavod to Lieberman - blunt but true!! 13:36  |  Kenny 06/05/09
      27.   #6 thomas have you heard of the mandates set up by the san remo 13:56  |  v hardman 06/05/09
      28.   19 - you missed the point - Peace Now acheived nothing! 14:03  |  redbourn 06/05/09
      29.   I actually liked his totally unrealistic Cypriot "vision"... 14:15  |  S 06/05/09
      30.   Israel doesn`t want peace 14:25  |  Matty Groves 06/05/09
      31.   Right 14:28  |  Peter 06/05/09
      32.   The "Cypriot model" 14:29  |  Matty Groves 06/05/09
      33.   Criminal Pundik family has dined well on "Peace Movement" 14:40  |  Absolute Sweden 06/05/09
      34.   Arabs send money to Peace Now all the way from Australia 14:50  |  Nemesis 06/05/09
      35.   Ussishkin #22... thank you... 14:51  |  Esther 06/05/09
      36.   #23 - how would you impose it? 14:54  |  redbourn 06/05/09
      37.   Rachel #10 14:55  |  Esther 06/05/09
      38.   to Kilminister, vharman, thomas, johnboy 14:57  |  Non-Arab Saudi 06/05/09
      39.   Dear Matty Groves 15:04  |  Noami 06/05/09
      40.   Esther 4 15:06  |  Realist 06/05/09
      41.   It`s gonna be one 18th of may in Washington DC 15:18  |  Mark B. 06/05/09
      42.   Israel should abandon its past policies, and offer a viable state 15:47  |  Jacob 06/05/09
      43.   Conferences at five star hotels? 15:49  |  Natallie Durson 06/05/09
      44.   Kenny YES Kol hakavod to Lieberman-blunt but true! 15:55  |  Whiskey 06/05/09
      45.   for the palestinians to get some justice 16:11  |  rm 06/05/09
      46.   Jacob from Cambridge,your Rabin memories fail you 16:11  |  Absolute Sweden 06/05/09
      47.   WAR INDUSTRY, WASTE OF MONEY AND LIVES 16:15  |  Danny 06/05/09
      48.   Now This Moldovan Is A Spokesman For 16:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/05/09
      49.   Moshe # 24 16:21  |  Michael 06/05/09
      50.   #34/redbourn 16:22  |  Deacon2 06/05/09
      51.   #44 yaakov on the skids in new york and indigestion 17:32  |  v hardman 06/05/09
      52.   An embarrassment waiting to happen 17:51  |  allang 06/05/09
      53.   #6 Thomas 18:21  |  MK 06/05/09
      54.   And rst assured Natallie@42 He would much prefer A one Star or.. 18:26  |  Whiskey 06/05/09
      55.   And he is right. Israel turned down peace in 1954 18:57  |  Tcherkessi 06/05/09
      56.   To allang.@52.Embarrassment?More like Honesty.. 19:07  |  Whiskey 06/05/09
      57.   Well, allang #52... to come back to basics... 20:08  |  Esther 06/05/09
      58.   #529 Allang/Esther 21:26  |  Malone 06/05/09
      59.   exchanging populations? 21:27  |  christoph 06/05/09
      60.   ESTHER JUST STOP IT..When any of the Russian Immigrants arrived 22:15  |  Whiskey 06/05/09
      61.   Peace Industry? 02:42  |  Paul Stewart 07/05/09
      62.   # 56 whiskey..... Lieberman is a bozo 03:56  |  allang 07/05/09
      63.   #13 sam soul 04:16  |  neil 07/05/09
      64.   Whiskey, the racist bouncer is a huge liability... 04:41  |  BBSNews 07/05/09
      65.   This Russian Jew, Lieberman, only harms Israel`s image abroad. 04:55  |  KGM 07/05/09
      66.   #54 whiskey 04:56  |  neil 07/05/09
      67.   Hey Whiskey, Nat`s correct assessment got ya... 05:10  |  BBSNews 07/05/09
      68.   Biggest waste of all: Settlers 05:46  |  Robert 07/05/09
      69.   Finally, Lieberman and I agree on something 06:55  |  peacelover 07/05/09
      70.   whiskey #56... bouncers outside night-clubs are essential... 08:17  |  Esther 07/05/09
      71.   Lieberman as intellectual giant 14:07  |  Ibrahim Shvonce 07/05/09
      72.   Lieberman is an embarassment 19:15  |  Josh 07/05/09
      73.   Hey Josh@72 We need Lieberman`s type of embarrassment rather than 20:09  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      74.   To Ibrahim Shvonce..THREE WORDS FOR YOU: 20:59  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      75.   allang @62 Wishing you`d stop pontificating.Also Few Words. 22:46  |  Whiskey 07/05/09
      76.   Economy is the secret 13:56  |  Yaakov 18/05/09
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