SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said today that a peace deal with the Palestinians is impossible and that Israel should pursue a lesser deal instead. "It's not only that it is impossible" to reach an overall agreement, he said. "It is simply forbidden."(Photo by: Emil Salman)
Israeli Foreign Minister says Peace Agreement 'Simply Forbidden'
Dec 27, 2010
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said today that a peace deal with the Palestinians is impossible and that Israel should pursue a lesser deal instead, an idea the Palestinians swiftly rejected.
The latest diplomatic spat came as violence along the Israel-Gaza border simmered. After days of accelerated Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and Israeli airstrikes in response, Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians early today.
Lieberman told Israeli diplomats that instead of a full peace deal, Israel should seek a long-term, interim agreement on security and economic matters. Palestinians have consistently rejected that approach.
"It's not only that it is impossible" to reach an overall agreement, he said. "It is simply forbidden."
Lieberman said the West Bank Palestinian Authority - with whom Israel has pledged to negotiate - was "not legitimate" because it has postponed elections.
A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Lieberman's comments reflect "his personal positions", not those of the government. Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority broke down in September after an Israeli freeze on settlement construction expired.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib rejected Lieberman's comments, saying most world governments - including Israel's - recognise the Palestinian Authority as legitimate. He said the Palestinians would not accept an interim agreement.
"Meanwhile the Israeli military said it had killed two militants in an airstrke today, claiming they had been seen trying to plant explosives along the border. The Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its members died in a clash with Israeli ground troops. The border has been mostly calm since Israel's Gaza war two years ago, but clashes have flared in recent weeks. On Saturday, Gaza's militant Hamas rulers warned they would escalate hostilities against Israel if tensions didn't subside.
The Islamic militant Hamas, which rules Gaza, is at odds with the West Bank Palestinian Authority and rejects negotiations with Israel.
An Israeli court today said a Palestinian whom Israel is trying to ban from the city could remain while he appeals against his case. Adnan Gheith, who has led protests against Jewish settlers in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, was to remain outside Jerusalem for four months starting today. The military issued the ban, saying it considers him a threat to the public order.
Rights groups worry the ban - based on an obscure emergency regulation that predates Israel's establishment - could be used to target others.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said today that a peace deal with the Palestinians is impossible and that Israel should pursue a lesser deal instead, an idea the Palestinians swiftly rejected.
The latest diplomatic spat came as violence along the Israel-Gaza border simmered. After days of accelerated Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and Israeli airstrikes in response, Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians early today.
Lieberman told Israeli diplomats that instead of a full peace deal, Israel should seek a long-term, interim agreement on security and economic matters. Palestinians have consistently rejected that approach.
"It's not only that it is impossible" to reach an overall agreement, he said. "It is simply forbidden."
Lieberman said the West Bank Palestinian Authority - with whom Israel has pledged to negotiate - was "not legitimate" because it has postponed elections.
A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Lieberman's comments reflect "his personal positions", not those of the government. Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority broke down in September after an Israeli freeze on settlement construction expired.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib rejected Lieberman's comments, saying most world governments - including Israel's - recognise the Palestinian Authority as legitimate. He said the Palestinians would not accept an interim agreement.
"Meanwhile the Israeli military said it had killed two militants in an airstrke today, claiming they had been seen trying to plant explosives along the border. The Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its members died in a clash with Israeli ground troops. The border has been mostly calm since Israel's Gaza war two years ago, but clashes have flared in recent weeks. On Saturday, Gaza's militant Hamas rulers warned they would escalate hostilities against Israel if tensions didn't subside.
The Islamic militant Hamas, which rules Gaza, is at odds with the West Bank Palestinian Authority and rejects negotiations with Israel.
An Israeli court today said a Palestinian whom Israel is trying to ban from the city could remain while he appeals against his case. Adnan Gheith, who has led protests against Jewish settlers in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, was to remain outside Jerusalem for four months starting today. The military issued the ban, saying it considers him a threat to the public order.
Rights groups worry the ban - based on an obscure emergency regulation that predates Israel's establishment - could be used to target others.
Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said today that a peace deal with the Palestinians is impossible and that Israel should pursue a lesser deal instead, an idea the Palestinians swiftly rejected.
The latest diplomatic spat came as violence along the Israel-Gaza border simmered. After days of accelerated Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and Israeli airstrikes in response, Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians early today.
Lieberman told Israeli diplomats that instead of a full peace deal, Israel should seek a long-term, interim agreement on security and economic matters. Palestinians have consistently rejected that approach.
"It's not only that it is impossible" to reach an overall agreement, he said. "It is simply forbidden."
Lieberman said the West Bank Palestinian Authority - with whom Israel has pledged to negotiate - was "not legitimate" because it has postponed elections.
A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Lieberman's comments reflect "his personal positions", not those of the government. Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority broke down in September after an Israeli freeze on settlement construction expired.
Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib rejected Lieberman's comments, saying most world governments - including Israel's - recognise the Palestinian Authority as legitimate. He said the Palestinians would not accept an interim agreement.
"Meanwhile the Israeli military said it had killed two militants in an airstrke today, claiming they had been seen trying to plant explosives along the border. The Islamic Jihad militant group said two of its members died in a clash with Israeli ground troops. The border has been mostly calm since Israel's Gaza war two years ago, but clashes have flared in recent weeks. On Saturday, Gaza's militant Hamas rulers warned they would escalate hostilities against Israel if tensions didn't subside.
The Islamic militant Hamas, which rules Gaza, is at odds with the West Bank Palestinian Authority and rejects negotiations with Israel.
An Israeli court today said a Palestinian whom Israel is trying to ban from the city could remain while he appeals against his case. Adnan Gheith, who has led protests against Jewish settlers in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, was to remain outside Jerusalem for four months starting today. The military issued the ban, saying it considers him a threat to the public order.
Rights groups worry the ban - based on an obscure emergency regulation that predates Israel's establishment - could be used to target others.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.