Israel's FM: Concessions Invite War

Hard-Line Foreign Minister Criticizes Predecessor's Attempts At Palestinian Peace Talks

(AP)  Israel's new hard-line foreign minister delivered a scathing critique of Mideast peace efforts Wednesday, rejecting the past year of U.S.-led negotiations and telling a room crowded with cringing diplomats that concessions to the Palestinians only invite war.

Avigdor Lieberman's first speech since taking office, along with accusations by the moderate Palestinian president that the new Israeli government opposes peace, signaled tough times ahead for the Obama administration's regional diplomacy.

"Whoever thinks that concessions ... will achieve something is wrong. He will bring pressures and more wars," Lieberman said. "What we have to explain to the world is that the list of priorities must change."

The appointment of Lieberman, head of the ultranationalist Yisrael Beitenu, has raised international concerns because of his hard-line positions on peace and an election campaign that was widely seen as racist.

Lieberman's campaign proposal to strip the citizenship of people who do not pledge loyalty to the state and slogan that "only Lieberman understands Arabic" were viewed as thinly veiled swipes at Israel's Arab minority.

His speech at the Foreign Ministry only added to Palestinian trepidation over the new government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his first term as prime minister a decade ago, Netanyahu took a tough line in peace talks and frequently clashed with his Palestinian counterparts.

Netanyahu, who took office Wednesday, has tried to portray a softer image this time around, saying he will seek a final peace agreement with the Palestinians. But he has not outlined how that deal might look, and conspicuously refused to accept the Palestinian demand for an independent state on lands occupied by Israel.

Middle East envoy Tony Blair on stressed Wednesday that Palestinian statehood remains the key to peace in the region and warned of the consequences if negotiations are not vigorously pursued.

"We face a situation of very great jeopardy for the peace process," he told reporters in Brussels. "We need a combination of strong political negotiations toward a two-state solution and major change on the ground."

Establishment of a Palestinian state was endorsed by former President George W. Bush and is a cornerstone of the Obama administration's Mideast policy.

U.S. officials did not comment directly on Lieberman's speech but the White House also emphasized the statehood issue.

"The President has said many times that we are committed to the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security," said Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the National Security Council.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking for the first time about the new Israeli government, urged the international community to put heavy pressure on Netanyahu.

"We want to tell the world that this man doesn't believe in peace and therefore we cannot deal with him," Abbas told an Arab summit in Qatar. His comments were reported by the official Palestinian news agency.

As Israel's face to the outside world, the brash, Moldovan-born Lieberman, who still speaks with a Russian accent, could have a difficult time changing minds about the government's intentions.

In his speech, Lieberman harshly criticized the U.S.-led peace talks launched by Bush in Annapolis, Maryland in 2007, saying the agreement has no bearing.

"Nobody ever authorized Annapolis," he said.

Instead, Lieberman said he would reluctantly accept an earlier peace plan known as the "road map."

The road map promoted a phased approach to peacemaking and never got off the ground as Israel and the Palestinians accused each other of failing to meet their obligations. The Annapolis process tried to get over this hump by jumping directly to all "final status" issues surrounding Palestinian independence.

"We will never agree to ... go straight to the final cause, which is negotiations for a final agreement. No. These concessions bring nothing," Lieberman said.

Officials in Netanyahu's office did not return messages seeking comment.

Lieberman spoke at a handover ceremony attended by his predecessor, Tzipi Livni, who was Israel's chief negotiator in the Annapolis talks. Livni grimaced throughout his speech, and at one time spoke up to disagree with him. Diplomats in the room shifted uncomfortably as he spoke.

"He came here with a clear political program and he now exposed what it was. This is what it's going to be," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor.

Lieberman has generated controversy for more than a decade in politics.

Last October, he said that Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak, could "go to hell" because of his refusal to visit Israel. But in Wednesday's speech, he said Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel, was an important ally.

"I would definitely like to visit Egypt and I would be happy for Egyptian leaders to visit here," he said.

[thetruedude]

long live Israel the greatest country in the middle east

[tx_doughboy]

H-L;
You have proven nothing by quoting scripture.

Your logic still holds no water what so ever. You split hairs with names like Allah and Jesus and ignore that they all reference God our creator. Anyone that believes in God the creator and prays to him prays to the same God. Even those that pray to Jesus because according to you, Jesus is God the creator!

Why are you so bothered by the fact that you pray to the same God as a Jew or a Muslim? You should rejoice by this new found revelation!

What I don?t understand is why you are so hostile to Muslims because they do not accept Jesus as Lord and savior, but that does not appear to be an issue with you when it comes to Jews. You justify your discrimination by the fact that Muslims kill innocent people in the name of God. Well I hate to burst your bubble but Jews have killed countless innocent people including women and children, not in the name of God but for land. But in your eyes that is OK, they are not innocent because their preferred religion is Islam. Your religion blinds you of your own hypocrisy.

Let me make one thing clear to you buddy, I don?t need your prayers. My relationship with God is my own business. The fact that you pass judgment over my beliefs does very little to encourage any interest in joining any Christian church. The fact that Islam, and Christianity are so rigid in their belief structures leave very little room for free thinkers and new ideas.

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

You fail to recognize any history prior to the birth of Jesus.
Posted by tx_doughboy

Sure I do,it's called the Old Testament. The Bible is a history book of the world, past, present, and future. And Jesus Christ was around then too, He just wasn't given the name Jesus yet. He was simply LORD, and the great "I AM". The name Jesus means One who will save His people from their sins. And Christ did this for us. You fail to recognize Christ' own words:

John 8:57-58

57"You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

58"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

You also fail to recognize that Jesus told Moses the SAME THING in the Old Testament. here you go!:

Exodus 3:14
God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

Actually its a simple yes or no question.

To someone like you yes it is,
posted by tx_doughboy

-No, actually it was presented to you as a "Yes" or "No" question.

Here's a little English lesson for you:

When someone starts asks a question like "Do you believe God is a loving God?"

That is a YES or NO question. But again, you already knew this as well. These forums are all a game to you, in an effort to draw attention to yourself. That's why you lied about the Muslim thing.

Fact is people like you are impossible to talk reason with, because reason and logic are foreign words to you.

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

Sorry buddy, you can admit that you live in your own little world where you are right and if someone disagrees with you then they are wrong.

Happy Trails!
Posted by tx_doughboy

Fact are facts, and the fact is Muslims DO NOT worship the LORD Jesus Christ. That means they don't worship the same God as Christians. But you already knew that. You're just trying to draw attention to yourself. It all has to do with your tremendous amount of arrogant pride you have inside which disallows you to publicly admit you are wrong about this.

[tx_doughboy]

"I have to go, I've had enough of your dishonesties for today. You were proven wrong about your erroneous claim that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, as we Christians believe in the LORD Jesus Christ as Lord of all, and Muslims do not. "

Sorry buddy, you can admit that you live in your own little world where you are right and if someone disagrees with you then they are wrong.

Happy Trails!

[tx_doughboy]

Actually its a simple yes or no question.

To someone like you yes it is, but you have simplified God down to something you understand, and I on the other hand have I great deal humility in understanding that God is bigger than what a human mind can understand.

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

Why is it OK for you to disclaim the actions of people that call themselves Christians and kill in the name of God and not do the same for Muslims
posted by tx_doughboy

Again, try reading the Gospels, then read the Quran which calls for the destruction of all Jews and Christians, specifically. It's right in their "holy" book. You just can't do honest research, that's all.

It's easy to make discernments when you use God's Word (the Bible) as your guide. Again, try reading the Gospels.

I have to go, I've had enough of your dishonesties for today. You were proven wrong about your erroneous claim that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, as we Christians believe in the LORD Jesus Christ as Lord of all, and Muslims do not.

This means they don't worship the God of the Bible. It's that simple. Christians don't pray to "allah", we pray to the LORD Jesus Christ. That's why we end our prayers with "In Jesus' name, Amen".

You already knew that.

Your pride is off the charts with your inability to admit you were wrong.

The Bible speaks out against pride big time. That's why you can't come to Christ, because your pride is blinding you from the Truth of the Gospels.

God wants you to know Him, yet you are rejecting Him and His gift. That's your call. Continue to live in doubt, and fear, that is your choice.

Good day to you.

[Hyptnotized_Liberals]

Loving is such a human emotion that does not even begin to describe God
posted by tx_doughboy

-Without God's Love to begin with, humans would be incapable of loving.

You just don't get it. God's love is MUCH more than humans can ever provide.

He paid the price for us on the cross, and rose from the grave so that through Him we may have the undeserved gift of eternal life that He offers because of His neverending Grace and Forgiveness.

You cannot know God until you love Him, because He loved you first.

I hope you hear His voice calling at your heart someday, I truly do.

Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

[tx_doughboy]

"Any "Christian" who has murdered innocent people in the name of God isn't a Christian at all. Try reading the Gospels."

Why is it OK for you to disclaim the actions of people that call themselves Christians and kill in the name of God and not do the same for Muslims. Isn?t it fair to say that any Muslim that kills in the name of God is not a real Muslim?