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World Jewish News
Mitchell meets FM, reiterates commitment to two states
16.04.2009
US envoy George Mitchell on Thursday met with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and reiterated the US's commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Lieberman, who recently said that Israel would not be bound by the Annapolis process, said that the talks focused on the tight cooperation between [Israel] and the United States.
Lieberman added that the discussion had focused on coordinating stances on the Palestinian issue. He said that he expected in-depth dialogue regarding the economic and security aspects of the conflict.
Mitchell's statements echoed remarks he had made earlier in the day in a meeting with President Shimon Peres. Mitchell assured the president that America was totally committed to Israel's security and reiterated Washington's commitment to a two state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Peres told Mitchell that Obama's plans to bring peace to the region were in line with those of Israel. Israel has always been interested in having peace in the region, said Peres, but not at the expense of her own security.
Meanwhile Thursday, Israeli ministers distanced themselves from a two-state solution.
"The preferable course of diplomatic action at this time is two economies for two peoples and not two states for two peoples," Interior Minister Eli Yishai said. "The American emissary also knows that forcing the region into virtual diplomatic discourse will only breed the opposite results."
Speaking to Army Radio Yishai expounded on the "economic peace" propounded by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, saying, "It would be more correct to create trust through economic discourse which is essentially a Palestinian interest."
By "enlisting" to aid the recovery of the Palestinian economy, he said, the international community would also be helping the Palestinian public "relinquish terror."
Earlier, Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz rejected the Annapolis process and said that Israel would not accept a two-state solution as the basis for talks.
"The Annapolis outline has failed and is no longer binding," Katz said in an interview with Israel Radio, emphasizing that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu would "formulate a diplomatic approach that takes into account all of the different elements, and first and foremost Israel's security."
Commenting on a statement by Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who said on Wednesday that Cairo would not work with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Katz stated that the government would do "everything it takes" in order to safeguard Israel's "strategic relationship" with Egypt.
He admitted that remarks made by Lieberman, to the effect that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak could "go to hell" if he did not agree to make an official visit to Jerusalem, were "unfortunate" but would not recommend an apology on the part of the foreign minister.
Responding to Katz's comments, MK Yuli Tamir (Labor) said that "It is rapidly emerging that the government has no understanding of our international context and is putting us on a collision course with Europe and the US. The entire world supports Annapolis while Israel alone singles itself out as a dissenter."
Источник: JPost.com
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