Lieberman’s Controversial Statements

Lieberman’s Controversial Statements

At the handover ceremony at the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Lieberman sounded an aggressive foreign policy stance, emphasizing that the new government is not bound by the Annapolis process, under which former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former foreign minister Tzipi Livni conducted negotiations with the Palestinian Authority on the core issues of a final-status arrangement.


 


“Whoever thinks that he will achieve something by way of concessions – no, he will only invite more pressure and more wars, If you want peace, prepare for war’. Lieberman said.


In his Foreign Ministry speech Thursday Lieberman referred to relations with Egypt, in light of his harsh criticism of President Hosni Mubarak a few months ago. In a conciliatory gesture he said, “Egypt is an important element in the Arab world and in the world in general. I would certainly be happy to visit Egypt, but I”ll also be happy to see Egypt”s leaders visit here. I respect others and want them to respect us; I support the principle of reciprocity.”


Lieberman had said many controversial statements; he has threatened to wipe at least two countries, Egypt and Palestine, off the map. Monstrously, he suggested bombing the Aswan Dam, which would have the effect of murdering all 80 million Egyptians and sweeping them into the Mediterranean in a vast continental African tsunami.


After the handover ceremony, Lieberman promptly announced on assuming office that the Mideast peace process is dead. Well, at least we have an outbreak of frankness.



The Electronic Intifada lists “Some of Lieberman”s infamous statements“:


·         In 1998, Lieberman called for the flooding of Egypt by bombing the Aswan Dam in retaliation for Egyptian support for Yasser Arafat.


·         In 2001, as Minister of National Infrastructure, Lieberman proposed that the West Bank be divided into four cantons, with no central Palestinian government and no possibility for Palestinians to travel between the cantons.


·         In 2002, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Lieberman in a Cabinet meeting saying that the Palestinians should be given an ultimatum that “At 8am we”ll bomb all the commercial centers … at noon we”ll bomb their gas stations … at two we”ll bomb their banks …”


·         In 2003, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Lieberman called for thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel to be drowned in the Dead Sea and offered to provide the buses to take them there.


·         In May 2004, Lieberman proposed a plan that called for the transfer of Israeli territory with Palestinian populations to the Palestinian Authority. Likewise, Israel would annex the major Jewish settlement blocs on the Palestinian West Bank. If applied, his plan would strip roughly one-third of Israel”s Palestinian citizens of their citizenship. A “loyalty test” would be applied to those who desired to remain in Israel. This plan to trade territory with the Palestinian Authority is a revision of Lieberman”s earlier calls for the forcible transfer of Palestinian citizens of Israel from their land. Lieberman stated in April 2002 that there was “nothing undemocratic about transfer.”


·         Also in May 2004, he said that 90 percent of Israel”s 1.2 million Palestinian citizens would “have to find a new Arab entity” in which to live beyond Israel”s borders. “They have no place here. They can take their bundles and get lost,” he said.


·         In May 2006, Lieberman called for the killing of Arab members of Knesset who meet with members of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority.”


 


Moreover, Egyptian officials have expressed concern about the stance of a right-wing Israeli government. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit told European lawmakers in Brussels Monday that the establishment of an “extreme” right-wing government would be negative and possibly damaging.