Monday, July 13, 2009

Lieberman: Abbas Illegitimate; Rejects EU's Call for Palestinian State Deadline


Al-Manar

"13/07/2009 Only one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a public invitation to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to meet with him, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman openly expressed his contempt for the potential negotiations partner and rejected European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana's call for the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian State even if Israel didn't.

"Abu Mazen (Abbas) is not really legitimate, and this is why he has offered a new demand, or advice, to replace Lieberman with (Opposition Chairwoman) Tzipi Livni," the foreign minister told Israel Radio on Monday morning. "I definitely view this piece of advice as a great blessing. His demand to halt construction in the settlements is only an expression of his distress and inability."

Lieberman stressed that as Abbas' authority and legitimacy decline, "the level of expectations increases and the man toughens his stance… What is Abbas' source of legitimacy these days?

"We signed an agreement with the Palestinian Authority. We signed it with the authority which represents all the Palestinians. Today you have Fatahland in Judea and Samaria and Hamastan in Gaza. Who exactly is Abbas representing Half a nation at best."....."

No comments: