Israel’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that there was “no chance” a Palestinian state would be established by 2012 — a message that threatened to cloud the latest visit by US President Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy.
The comments by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman drew swift Palestinian condemnations and could put Israel at odds with the international community, which has set a 2012 target for brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
“As an optimist, I see no chance that a Palestinian state will be established by 2012,” Lieberman said at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “We can express interest, we can dream, but in reality, we are still far from reaching understandings and agreements on establishing an independent state by 2012.”
Russia, along with the US, EU and UN, make up the “Quartet” of Middle East negotiators — an international group that has spent nearly a decade trying to forge a peace agreement.
Later on Tuesday, Lavrov flew to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said the talks with Aboul Gheit centered on Middle East peace talks and other regional issues.
White House envoy George Mitchell was set to mediate a fifth round of indirect talks between the sides starting yesterday. Mitchell is trying to prod Israel and the Palestinians into direct negotiations.
It wasn’t clear whether Lieberman was expressing his own opinion or government policy. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to comment.
Lieberman is a contentious figure because of his support for redrawing Israel’s borders to push areas with heavy concentrations of Arabs out of Israel and into Palestinian jurisdiction. He also launched a failed effort in parliament to force Israeli Arabs to take a loyalty oath or lose their citizenship.
A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ West Bank government accused Lieberman of defying international efforts to wrap up a deal.
“Lieberman is issuing a challenge to the international community, which is in agreement on the two-year ceiling,” Ghassan Khatib said.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Lieberman’s comments “a severe slap to the Palestinians and the Arabs who believe in the mirage of a peace agreement.”
He said Hamas called on Abbas to stop pursuing peace with Israel.
Talks between Palestinians and Israelis resumed in May after a 17-month breakdown. The Palestinians have insisted on US mediation, saying they are frustrated by Israel’s refusal to declare a halt to all construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, lands they claim for a future state along with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The aim is to shift gears to direct talks in late September, but much will depend on whether Israel agrees to extend a construction slowdown it has declared in the West Bank and a de facto moratorium in effect in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want for a future capital.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Two people died and 19 others were injured after a Mexican Navy training ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said yesterday. The ship snapped all three of its masts as it collided with the New York City landmark late on Saturday, while onlookers enjoying the balmy spring evening watched in horror. “At this time, of the 277 on board, 19 sustained injuries, 2 of which remain in critical condition, and 2 more have sadly passed away from their injuries,” Adams posted on X. Footage shared online showed the Mexican Navy ship Cuauhtemoc, its sails furled
RSS