Yisrael Beiteinu leaves gov't over peace talks - Haaretz

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Fri., January 18, 2008 Shvat 11, 5768

Israel Time: 02:19 (EST+7)

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Yisrael Beiteinu leaves gov't over peace talks

By Haaretz Correspondent and Staff , By Mazal Mualem

"I have informed the Prime Minster of our resignation from the coalition," announced Avigdor Lieberman, the Minister for Strategic Affairs and the head of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu Party, yesterday.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday morning he had called to make the announcement, Lieberman said, "I think my position was clear the entire time," refering to negotiations with the Palestinians. "A month before the Annapolis summit, we put out a document with red lines that clearly defined what we could tolerate and what we could not tolerate. It is important to explain why the negotiations over the core issues is critical for us. The territories are not an obstacle to peace."

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He also thanked Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for his fair treatment, honesty and openness. The Prime Minister's Bureau responded to the resignation by saying the prime minister thanked Lieberman for being a partner in the cabinet's actions in the security and social spheres, but emphasized there is no alternative to serious negotiations with the Palestinians in order to achieve peace.

"The cabinet set clear conditions that every future agreement will be subject to the guarantee of Israeli security," the Prime Minister's Bureau said in its statement. "In light of the diplomatic actions of late, differences in opinion with Lieberman and his party members led to his resignation from the government."

Lieberman sharply attacked the leadership of the Israeli Arab public, saying, "Our problem is not with the Palestinians, it is with Israeli Arabs. [Israeli Arab MKs] Ahmed Tibi and Mohammed Barakeh are more dangerous than [Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled] Meshal and [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah, because they operate from within."

Lieberman also said peace talks must address the issue of transferring the Israeli Arab population to Palestinian control.

"From our point of view, the concept of land for peace is out of the question," said Lieberman. "The principle must be exchanges of territory and population."

The outgoing minister said a withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders would not bring peace or an end to terrorism.

"You know what will happen the day after we withdraw to the 1967 borders?" said Lieberman. "Israeli Arabs will request Palestinian citizenship, and will continue to receive social security payments from the State of Israel.

"They don't hide this - they say quite clearly that they will demand autonomy in the Galilee and the Negev, and will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state."

"It's not that we oppose the solution of two states for two peoples," said the Yisrael Beiteinu chairman. "On the contrary, we support it - two states for two peoples, not a state and a half for one people and half a state for the other."

"We can't accept the asymmetry of a Palestinian state without a single Jew, and Israel becoming a binational state with more than 20 percent minorities," he continued.

During the press conference, Lieberman also rejected the possibility that Yisrael Beiteinu would run together with the Likud party in the next elections. Nonetheless, Lieberman said that he would act to move up elections starting today.

Yisrael Beiteinu's resignation will now likely shift the focus to Shas, the other right-of-center party in the coalition, which has said it could tolerate negotiations on borders and refugees, but would resign immediately on orders of its spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, should Jerusalem be put on the table.

The Likud praised Lieberman for deciding to resign, in order "to stop the dangerous process the government is leading." The Likud also called on Shas to quit the Olmert-Barak government so as not to serve as a bridge for dividing Jerusalem and returning Israel to undefensible borders.

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