Lieberman, OECD sign deal to usher in Israeli membership
Israeli Arab MK urges OECD to reject Israel; Peres: Joining OECD will show Israel's other face to world.
By Haaretz Service and Moti Bassok Tags: Israeli Arab Israel newsForeign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development secretary-general signed an agreement on Tuesday as a condition for Israeli membership in the international economic group, Army Radio reported.
According to the deal, OECD representatives in Israel will be granted diplomatic immunity and a preferential legal status.
Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi earlier on Tuesday urged the OECD to reject Israel's request for membership, saying state-led discrimination against the Arab sector ran counter to the group's regulations.
Confidence is mounting in the Jerusalem corridors that Israel will join the OECD this May, becoming the 32nd member. The final decision will be made by the organization's ministerial committee, following a visit this week by a delegation headed by OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria.
During a meeting with Gurria on Tuesday, Peres emphasized that membership in the organization would enable Israel to show the world its technological and scientific face.
Boaz Hirsch, head of the Foreign Trade administration at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, said the process of Israel's addition to the OECD ranks has reached the final stage. However, a Jerusalem official close to the talks qualified this optimism, saying, "In politics, nothing is final until it's final, and today there are more countries angry with Israel."
Jerusalem circles have agreed that, if it does in fact join, Israel will be represented in the OECD by a special embassy located in Paris, not by the Israeli ambassador in Paris.
The ambassador to the OECD will hail from the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry and his deputy will be an official from the Finance Ministry.
During his visit, Gurria met with Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lieberman, Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin, Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer and other officials.
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer is expected to provide a review of steps Israel is taking to implement the OECD's recommendations regarding education, employment, labor and social affairs.
Although the OECD has applauded Israel for its economic management, it remains concerned about the country's high level of national debt relative to gross domestic product, as well as its heavy spending on security.
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OECD Chief Angel Gurria with Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Tuesday. |
| Photo by: (Jini) |
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He's ashamed of Israel's hate-filled, brutal, lawless, and racist policies. Most Diaspora Jews feel the same. Salaam/Shalom
I thought that Military Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin just told Israel that the whole world hates Israel. He better see his psychiatrist.
that not Jews but palestinians bombed civilian buses and night clubs full of teenagers having good time. Perpetual stonings of Jewish cars, drive-by shootings, knifings, kidnappings and list goes on and on and Tibi wants Israelis to close their eyes and take it? Not a single arab country in the world have as much freedom for Jews as Israel has for arabs in Israel. Where did you see Jewish Minister in any of arabic speaking countries? Yap, that exactly what i thought.
Israel should trade this poisonous snake for Shalit...Let him go be a mk in the hamas "democracy" or in the saudi "democracy" and let him see how well they would treat him,if he preaches traison and subversion among his fellow moslem "democrats"
This statement by the esteemed MK Tibi is the proof of the contrary! Can you name me one, just ONE Arab or Muslim country, were a member of parliament could belonging to a minority could voice such a statement??? From Mauritannia to Indonesia people get maimed and burned for much less...
The ratio of Arab MKs/percentage of Arabs among Israeli citizens is much higher than the ratio of Arab/Muslim members of the French parliament to their respective percentage among French citizenry. So rather than not lobbying for not including Israel, Tibi should lobby for the expulsion of France. Yet another example that Tibi & (most) Arab MKs are not in favor of a 2 state solution, just continuously trying to delegitimize Israel. What a pitty, they could be a true bridge between Israel and the Arab world. Instead, they try to appear as the most belligerent ones, maybe to overcome "the shame" of being Israeli and prove how truly Arabic they are.
facts on the ground says it all -
He's right - OECD rules do preclude us from joining, and do so very clearly. However, for political reasons, the rules will be waived, when in fact they could be used to prevent the free-reign Likud has to discriminate openly.
The discrimination against Israel's Second Class Citizens has become pronounced in the last few decades.
...about time the leadership is trying to join the rest of the western world...I don't know th escreening process but the Gaza war may come back to haunt the government... another step to become a modern state, sign the NPT treaty..open up the nukes for inspections... Now, let the politicians become statesmen ...Bibi do something big and meaningful for the "long-term" Israel maybe at the cost of your personal political life but for the greater good..Bibi do you have it in you to be a Statesman?