ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/LIEBERMAN Israel's Lieberman hopes Palestinians return to talks

Record ID: 398865

  • Title: ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/LIEBERMAN Israel's Lieberman hopes Palestinians return to talks
  • Date: 18th December 2014
  • Summary: PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (DECEMBER 18, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PROTEST OUTSIDE ISRAEL'S FOREIGN MINISTER, AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN AND CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER, LUBOMIR ZAORALEK, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAEL'S FOREIGN MINISTER, AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN, SAYING: "Regarding the situation in the Middle East, I am sorry to say that we are really disappointe
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2015 12:00
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  • Location: Czech Republic
  • Country: Czech Republic
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7LHWTT92AMWOO8XT637V1ME8
  • Story Text: Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday (December 18) expressed hope Palestinians would return to the negotiating table and criticised the EU for being one-sided.
    "Only through negotiations is it possible to achieve a comprehensive solution," he said while visiting the Czech capital.
    Earlier in the day, Lieberman described as a gimmick a Palestinian-proposed U.N. Security Council draft resolution that calls for a peace deal within a year and an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories by the end of 2017.
    The draft resolution was formally submitted by Jordan to the 15-member council on Wednesday, which means it could be put to a vote as soon as 24 hours later, but it does not guarantee it will happen. Some drafts have never been voted on.
    Lieberman said the unilateral move at the United Nations, which followed the collapse in April of U.S.-brokered talks on Palestinian statehood, would only deepen the decades-old conflict.
    France, Britain and Germany are also drafting a resolution, which French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said would propose concluding peace talks in two years. The submitted Palestinian draft appears to reflect some European ideas.
    "Regarding the situation in the Middle East, I am sorry to say that we are really disappointed by the position of EU very one-sided approach to this issue and I really try to be a diplomat and not express really my feelings , but what we saw in the last days, it was really very, very difficult for us. We see really a lot of prejudiced views regarding our dispute with the Palestinians," Lieberman said.
    While Lieberman's comments were dismissive of the resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced alarm over international pressure on Israel to withdraw from occupied territory, saying Islamist militants would then move in.
    "I still don't see that this resolution comes to the table. There are some discussions between the members of Security Council. We don't know how long it will take, but it is clear that the majority of the members of the Security Council understand that this resolution is very counter- productive and in my understanding they will postpone this vote for time. It is really resolution one-sided that Palestinian suddenly submitted and I am not sure that even other Arab states are completely supportive to this resolution," Lieberman said.
    Palestinians seek a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005 but continues to blockade the enclave, which is controlled by its Hamas Islamist enemy.
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