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Lieberman
Photo: AFP
Peres, 'Situation improving'
Photo: Rotem Feldner

Lieberman: Fatah Congress buries chance of peace

In meeting with 29 democratic congressmen, foreign minister paints bleak picture of chances for peace in near future. 'There is no single Palestinian authority that represents all Palestinians, but there's 'Hamastan' in Gaza, 'Fatahland' in Judea and Samaria,' he says. Meanwhile, Peres sings to a different tune in meeting with senators, says major change felt in West Bank

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the treaty being formed at the Palestinian Fatah organization's conference in Bethlehem, along with the chaos in the Palestinian territories, "Actually bury any possibility of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians in the next few years."

 

He said this at a meeting with 29 democratic congressmen headed by Steny Hoyer at his office in Jerusalem Monday.

 

"The Palestinians' uncompromising extremist positions on the matter of Jerusalem, the right of return and the settlement blocks create a gap between us that cannot be bridged," Lieberman said.

 

"There is no single Palestinian authority that represents all the Palestinians, but there is Hamastan in Gaza and Fatahland in Judea and Samaria," he added.

 

In light of this, he said, "Israeli policies must be based on reality and not on illusions, by maintaining dialogue between us and the Palestinians, improving security arrangement and improving the Palestinians' general economic situation.

 

"This is the most we can achieve in the coming years."

 

He added that "any exhibitionistic goals like forcing an agreement within a limited amount of time, will end in failure yet again. This is a realistic policy, the rest is just PR spins and misunderstandings of the processes taking place at this point."

 

Peres: Situation improving

A group of senators is also in Israel, and met on Monday with President Shimon Peres, who had a different tone than the foreign minister.

 

Peres compared the situation in the Gaza Strip to that of the West Bank and said that Gaza lives under Hamas rule while a major improvement can be seen in the West Bank, due in part to the economic peace being promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

 

He said the situation in the West Bank was changing for the better, and that Israel's removal of checkpoints has contributed to the 7% growth the Palestinian economy is enjoying.

 

Regarding political talks, the president said agreements that can be reached should be implemented one phase at a time, according to the guidelines of the Road Map, while continuing talks over issues that are yet to be agreed upon, according to the guidelines of the Annapolis conference.

 

The president said no issue should be postponed, and that even partial agreements alongside continued talks for regional peace were important.

 

He praised US-Israel ties and said he could not think of a better friend to Israel than the United State, even if the two disagree on certain issues.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.10.09, 15:35
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