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Strategic Affairs Minister Avidgdor Lieberman. (Tess Scheflan / Jini)
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Last update - 11:58 15/11/2007
Avigdor Lieberman: PA must recognize Israel as a Jewish state
By Mazal Mualem, Haaretz Correspondent
tags: Avigdor Lieberman 

The cabinet is scheduled to discuss making Palestinian recognition of the Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state a precondition for any negotiations with the Palestinian Authority, Haaretz has learned.

"I aim to drag Prime Minister Ehud Olmert into demanding that the Palestinians recognize us as a Jewish state as a prerequisite for the international peace summit planned at Annapolis," Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) told Haaretz on Wednesday.

He added that the proposal's acceptance by the cabinet was "important and symbolic."
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The discussion, which is set take place on Monday, will be convened at Lieberman's request.

According to the same sources, Lieberman told cabinet members of his request on Wednesday, and wrote to certain members to inform them of his demand. In his letter, Lieberman is said to have demanded that the proposed precondition be brought to a vote in the cabinet.

Yisrael Beiteinu is rumored to be planning a bill that would translate the precondition into law. The right-wing party's partners in writing the bill are said to have been Likud and the National Religious Party.

In parallel, Lieberman has, over the past couple of days, met with members of Olmert's ruling party Kadima, who are seen as particularly hawkish, Haaretz has learned. Otniel Schneller and Marina Soldkin are among the Kadima MKs with whom Lieberman has recently met.

Political analysts say Lieberman is working to consolidate a broad basis of agreement within the Knesset to head off any moves Olmert might be planning on the diplomatic front.

But Lieberman's proposal to discuss conditioning talks with the Palestinians on recognition of Israel's right to exist in fact corresponds with Olmert's own intentions.

Earlier this week, Olmert along with Defense Ministers Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni demanded the Palestinians recognize Israel's legitimacy. But the Palestinians declined to comply with the demand made by the three statesmen, who belong to Israel's Annapolis negotiating team.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salem Fayad said at a television interview last night that "Israel can ask all it want, but it will not receive Palestinian recognition."

Political analysts postulate that although Olmert is interested in conditioning talks on acceptance of Israel's right to exist, he will nonetheless seek to prevent this demand from becoming cemented in the form a of a government resolution. If the proposal is accepted, the analysts say, it might precipitate a crisis with the Palestinian leadership or limit Olmert's moves and ability to maneuver at the summit.

The cooperation of Yisrael Beiteinu, which is Kadima's partner in the coalition, with the Likud opposition party has become increasingly apparent in recent days.

This cooperation expressed itself in a number of bills that Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu recently submitted. One of these bills was approved on Wednesday in a preliminary reading. The bill proposed that any amendment to the basic law on Jerusalem would require a majority of 80 MKs rather than usual 61. The bill was submitted by MK Gideon Sa'ar of Likud and supported by Yisrael Beiteinu.

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      1.   Advigdor Lieberman is right! 03:56  |  Johnny 15/11/07
      2.   Avigdor Lieberman is Right! 03:59  |  Johnny Weintraub 15/11/07
      3.   Lieberman bill is bull 04:09  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 15/11/07
      4.   recognition or stay stupid. 04:59  |  dav zee 15/11/07
      5.   hat in hand 05:09  |  Shmuelshachor 15/11/07
      6.   This makes absolute sense 05:17  |  J K 15/11/07
      7.   good job Lieberman 05:21  |  vik 15/11/07
      8.   Just words or actions too? 05:37  |  Efox 15/11/07
      9.   Lefties Want Israel as a Pagan State , 06:00  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      10.   HYPOCRITES! Jews MUST SAY U.S. Is A CHRISTIAN State, Etc.! 06:15  |  Proud Pal Defender 15/11/07
      11.   "Jewish State" A RIDICULOUS Demand! Israel/Israelis GROW UP!!!! 06:18  |  Proud Pal Defender 15/11/07
      12.   recognizing Israel as Jewish state neabs 06:28  |  Mark 15/11/07
      13.   Forget Annapolis already 06:29  |  Nechama 15/11/07
      14.   A ridiculous demand? #3 Proub Pal Defender 06:35  |  Nechama 15/11/07
      15.   Reasonable Preconditions 06:40  |  Double Click 15/11/07
      16.   The Jews are a nation as well as a religion. 06:47  |  Stephen in New York 15/11/07
      17.   Mark 8 07:08  |  Stephen in New York 15/11/07
      18.   PA naked 07:59  |  Andrew 15/11/07
      19.   If it is not obvious to the Palestinian leadership that the 08:04  |  Israelah 15/11/07
      20.   Proud Pal Defender, um, you kinda have it all wrong. 08:13  |  Mark 15/11/07
      21.   To Proud Pal Defender 08:13  |  David 15/11/07
      22.   If you can´t, we´ll wait until you can.. 08:16  |  Daniel 15/11/07
      23.   Lieberman`s Proposal 08:21  |  R.A.G. 15/11/07
      24.   To Jew or not to Jew? 08:33  |  Yvette 15/11/07
      25.   What were the causes that led to the Holocaust 08:48  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      26.   WE DON`T CARE IF THEY DO!!!!!! 08:58  |  B`Galil 15/11/07
      27.   What happens to the jews when they forget who they are 09:03  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      28.   Palestinian fear 09:07  |  Gilad 15/11/07
      29.   What were the causes that led to creation of the Hanukah festival 09:09  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      30.   Abbas` PA launches terrorist attack on peace process. Typical. 09:13  |  Dr. L. Brnd 15/11/07
      31.   What a Democracy 09:19  |  Sal 15/11/07
      32.   LIBERMAN, RESIGN! NO NEED FOR ENEMY`S RECOGNITION OF JEWISH STATE 09:27  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 15/11/07
      33.   AVIGDOR,RESIGN! STOP SUPPORTING OLMERT-ANAPOLIS BETRAYAL!) 09:28  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 15/11/07
      34.   Lieberman - a trashy, third-rate nutter with ambition 09:30  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      35.   You wish, Dr L.Brnd # 30 09:39  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      36.   NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET..... 09:39  |  Dagma 15/11/07
      37.   Lieberman is Right. 09:49  |  Dorothea 15/11/07
      38.   Read this! 09:51  |  Anton 15/11/07
      39.   I would like to assume that Mr.Lieberman and his supporters here 10:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/11/07
      40.   Arabs are sore loosers , even when arabs loose , arabs admit not 10:15  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      41.   WHY should Israel recognise a "Palestinian" state? 10:15  |  PETER S.M. 15/11/07
      42.   It`s a neat sleight of hand, innit??? 10:21  |  Johnboy 15/11/07
      43.   arikat,in god`s name please 10:31  |  warsick 15/11/07
      44.   Easiest way to respond to Lieberman... 10:32  |  Johnboy 15/11/07
      45.   For Peter SM # 41 10:37  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      46.   this is a typical israeli ploy to undermine peace! 10:40  |  eric 15/11/07
      47.   Worthy cause, but.... 10:46  |  Esther 15/11/07
      48.   Israel Gets Recognition, 34 Clickfool 10:46  |  Alan 15/11/07
      49.   To Swiss [Dino] # 39 - Poor Poor Palestinian Horses 10:50  |  Sandy 15/11/07
      50.   message for Dino - #39 10:51  |  redmike 15/11/07
      51.   PA accepts every thing dictated by israel but not the palestenian 10:53  |  kad 15/11/07
      52.   The Sublime and the Ridiculous sums it up. 10:53  |  Onlooker 15/11/07
      53.   For Alan # 48 10:58  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      54.   Israelah, 19, I could not possibly describe the 11:00  |  Ravit 15/11/07
      55.   42- videogameboy poor man`s trickster 11:02  |  peter 15/11/07
      56.   johnboy is BLIND and LYING, as usual 11:11  |  CK Tan 15/11/07
      57.   39- the donkey pities the horses 11:14  |  peter 15/11/07
      58.   To Proud Pal Defender # 10 - Real Nonsense 11:15  |  Sandy 15/11/07
      59.   Honk For Israel as Jewish State , Honk for Settlers Policies , 11:15  |  Joseph E . 15/11/07
      60.   god help us from "our" friends 11:15  |  shoot-or dont talk 15/11/07
      61.   #45 clickfool - who are you tyring to con? 11:21  |  CK Tan 15/11/07
      62.   # 20 Proud Pal has a point 11:22  |  Outsider 15/11/07
      63.   #55 peter tries the sleight of hands, but fumbles the cards. 11:22  |  Johnboy 15/11/07
      64.   # 49 Sandy and his/her camels in the desert..... 11:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/11/07
      65.   Proud Pal Defender # 10 - It`s of No use defending Islam 11:31  |  Dolly 15/11/07
      66.   Careful what u wish for 11:39  |  Scott G 15/11/07
      67.   # 50 redmike "God save the British (and the Israelis)".... 11:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/11/07
      68.   every nation has a right to have it`s OWN state 11:44  |  Joey 15/11/07
      69.   Israel doesn`t really want peace - its all about land and power 11:44  |  Pals are People Too 15/11/07
      70.   Just another attempt to hinder peace talks. 11:46  |  Michael 15/11/07
      71.   rather silly of lieberman 11:49  |  harzion 15/11/07
      72.   saeb erekat made the declaration 11:53  |  meir 15/11/07
      73.   # 57 peter, could it be that you are watching.... 11:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 15/11/07
      74.   regonize what? 11:56  |  John 15/11/07
      75.   For CK Tan, harrumphing for Israel as usual # 61 11:56  |  Clickfool 15/11/07
      76.   Maybe the Palestinians should be the wiser... 12:00  |  Edith 15/11/07
      77.   Lieberman hoisted on his own petard? 12:03  |  JES 15/11/07
      78.   the FOOL & it`s comments on posting from afar 12:07  |  Ari ben Yisrael 15/11/07
      79.   It`s a good idea if you move ISRAEL to "EUROPE or USA" 12:10  |  JAMES