Israel Matzav

Lieberman smacks down Kouchner and Moratinos; Kouchner makes empty threat

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lierberman told French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos on Sunday that Israel will not be the Czechoslovakia of 2010, and that Europe should take care of its own problems before trying to solve ours. This is from the first link.

"It seems like all of the international community's failures in solving international crises have been translated into an attempt to make up for the failures through an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians in one year," Lieberman said. "I am speaking about failures to solve the conflicts in Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea, Zimbabwe and Sudan, and more."

"Instead of speaking with the Arab League and preparing for what will happen after the referendum in Sudan or to talk to the Arab League about the volatile situation expected in Iraq in 2012, the international community is rolling a steamroller of pressure on Israel," Lieberman explained. "Instead of calming, the steamroller will bring the opposite, an explosion, just like there was in 2000 after the meeting between [Defense Minister Ehud] Barak and Arafat."

"I don't expect you to solve all the problems in the world, but I do expect you to solve problems in Europe before you come here to teach us how to solve our problems. After you solve problems in Caucasus, Cyprus, the conflicts in Serbia and Kosova - come to us. Then I will be willing to accept your advice."

"In the year 1938, the European community tried to appease Hitler, instead of supporting its ally Czechoslovakia. Europe sacrificed Czechoslovakia, but did not gain anything from it," Lieberman said.

"We do not intend to be the Czechoslovakia of 2010. We will stand up for Israel's interests."

In response, Kouchner threatened that France would vote in favor of recognizing a 'Palestinian state' at the UN Security Council.

Kouchner reportedly told al-Ayyam that France preferred a two-state solution negotiated between the Palestinian Authority and Israel but that a UN-brokered resolution to the decades-long conflict remained a possibility.

"The international community cannot be satisfied with a prolonged deadlock. I therefore believe that one cannot rule out in principle the Security Council option," he was cited by AFP as saying.

On Monday morning, the Europeans called Lieberman and complained that the contents of their discussion with him had been made public.

The foreign ministers of Spain and France were furious with their Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, telling him Monday morning during a phone conversation that he had "violated every rule of diplomatic etiquette," an Israeli source reported on Monday.

...

During the telephone conversation between the three FMs Monday, the European ministers voiced their extreme dismay with the fact that details of the meeting were made public an hour after it took place. "You violated our trust," they said to Lieberman.

Moratinos said that Lieberman had apologized for what had happened during the meeting, but Foreign Ministry officials denied this report, saying that Lieberman did not apologize but rather clarified that he did not intend for his remarks to be presented in the media as a reprimand of Kouchner and Moratinos.

The French and Spanish foreign ministers said that were very surprised by Lieberman's remarks during Sunday's meeting, especially in light of the fact that, according to them, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made remarks contradicting Lieberman's tone mere hours before the meeting.

While Netanyahu told the European statesmen that he aims to achieve a peace agreement with the Palestinians within a year, Lieberman stressed to them that "anyone who talks like that is naïve." The men emphasized to Lieberman during their dinner that they completely disagreed with his assertion that a peace deal could not be achieved.

They explained to Lieberman that if a Palestinian state is not established within the next year or two, it would undermine Israel's security, urging Lieberman to take advantage of the current Palestinian leadership, as no one knows what the alternative will be in the future.

Meanwhile Monday, Lieberman denied the reports that the dinner was unpleasant, and said despite the fact that it was at times complicated, the dinner was "very tasty, and there was a good, honest and open atmosphere. We spoke openly, as friends do."

There are a lot of people here who are happy that the pretentious Europeans were put in their place. That includes this blogger.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:06 PM