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Avigdor Lieberman, former minister in Olmert's coalition before pulling his Israeli Beitenu party out of the government over policy disagreements: the drafting of an accord with the Palestinians is a "political coup" that the next government will not recognize.
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| By Israel Insider staff June 7, 2008 |
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In response to the announcement that that Israel and the Palestian Authority officials are to begin drafting peace agreement, Knesset members from various parties express fury at the attempt to create a 'political coup' in the 'dying days' of the corrupt Prime Minister Olmert's government.
Israeli officials tried to downplay the news, saying the negotiations are far from a stage where a final accord can be drawn up. "While there are points of consent on minor issues, there is still a complex disparity when it comes to the core issues," said officials vaguely. "The stage of drawing up an agreement is still far away. The efforts continue and there is much work ahead of us."
The decision coincides with a corruption scandal in Israel that may cost Prime Minister Ehud Olmert his job. Polls show that leader of the opposition Likud party, Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes major territorial concessions to the Palestinians, would Israel's next prime minister.
MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) also said on Saturday that "this is another spin meant to create the appearance of a peace process so as to avoid early elections."
Knesset members from left and right reacted negatively to an interview by Maan news with the Palestinian Authority's top negotiator, Ahmed Qurei, on Friday in which he said Israel and the PA were prepared to begin drafting a final deal. "If what Qureia said regarding the drafting of a peace agreement is correct, it should be made clear that the next government will not recognize that document," said MK Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu).
"Such a document should be seen as an attempt at a political coup aimed at retaining power and not a serious political accord agreed upon in a rational and responsible manner," he said. Lieberman described the decision to draft agreement as "political opportunism for the purpose of survival. It is not a serious diplomatic agreement worthy of consideration."
MK Gideon Sa'ar (Likud) accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni of "selling Israel's interests down the river while they continue their political bickering." He said that "the only reason to put these things in writing is to saddle the next government with far-reaching concessions. For this to be done in the final days of the Olmert-Livni government is an is an outrageous coup."
Questioned by the Ma'an news agency over Israel's new construction plans in east Jerusalem, Qurei also said that if Israel tries to impose facts on the ground, "I will tell them that we spent 30 years persuading Palestinians to accept a two-state solution, and if we do not succeed in achieving it, we will return to the idea of one state."
Arab MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) cast doubt on Saturday as to the viability of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. "There are severe and intrinsic gaps between the two sides," he said. "Drafting is trivial in negotiations and is not a harbinger of an accord," he said.
Qurei confirmed that Israel's negotiators had offered the Palestinians land in exchange for territory where major West Bank settlements lie, but he termed the Israeli offer "unacceptable." "The Israelis presented a land swap offer, but this offer is unacceptable to us," Qurei said. He added that negotiations were "going through a difficult period," because of tense discussions over the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.
Palestinians demand all of the West Bank into a future state, but their president, Mahmoud Abbas, has acknowledged that Israel, with US backing, will try to hold on to blocs where tens of thousands of settlers live. In exchange, Abbas is prepared to relinquish some West Bank land for an equal amount of Israeli land. Palestinian officials have said Israel has presented maps giving it 10 percent of the West Bank in exchange for southern Israeli territory near the Gaza Strip. |
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