Ramallah: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has warned that his regime needs to take the initiative internationally to put forward its own plan for the future of the Holy Land rather than let Palestinians and the international community set the agenda.
The minister’s comments precede a vote expected on Wednesday in the UN Security Council over a Palestinian proposal to seek a resolution recognising a Palestinian state and compelling the Israelis to withdraw from the West Bank within a two-year time frame.
Liberman is also concerned about the prospect of European nations moving to give recognition to a Palestinian state, claiming that Israel will respond to Palestinian moves with “meaningful steps on the ground and in the international arena.”
“We mustn’t sit with our hands tied and only speak out about what we are against,” The Jerusalem Post has quoted the minister as saying. “The lack of an Israeli initiative will deteriorate our standing in the international arena, it will harm our relations with our allies in the Western world and it will harm our ability to stand up for what’s important to us.”
“We must take the initiative and present an organised Israeli proposal. I have already presented my proposal — a multi-pronged regional agreement that will settle our relations with the Arab world, with the Palestinians and with the [Palestinian citizens of Israel] — which I believe will bring stable relations with the Arab world and the Palestinians and strengthen Israel’s standing as a Jewish state.”
