Geneva - Israel's chief diplomat in Geneva said Wednesday he
was awaiting instructions from his new government before making
statements regarding a two-state solution to the Middle East peace
process.
'This government is committed to all previous agreements that all
previous governments were committed to,' said Aharon Leshno-Yaar,
specifically mentioning the 'road map' of former US President George
W Bush.
Last month, during the session of the United Nations Human Rights
Council, he consistently reiterated his now previous government's
desire to reach a two-state solution, one being Israel as a Jewish
State and the other a Palestinian state, based on peace and security.
However, since the formation of a government Tuesday in Jerusalem
led by Benjamin Netanyahu of the hawkish Likud party as prime
minister and the hardline Avigdor Leiberman as foreign minister,
Leshno Yaar was awaiting instructions from the new leaders.
Netanyahu in his first address to the Knesset said he wanted a
comprehensive peace with the Palestinians but avoided mentioning a
Palestinian state. The left-of-centre Labour party also joined the
coalition government.
The election of Netanyahu has raised fears that Israel will now
adopt a harder line in talks, or not follow up on previous
negotiations, such as the Annapolis process, the basis on which the
former government of Ehud Olmert entered into new peace talks with
the Palestinians.
Leshno Yaar added that the government, less than a day old, was
being criticized before it 'was being given a chance to say anything'
and formulate its full doctrine.
Lieberman said in a speech at the foreign ministry in Jerusalem as
he assumed his ministerial duties that Israel would be bound by the
'road map' peace plan, a performance-based initiative from 2003.
He added that the Israeli government and parliament had never
ratified the statement from the Annapolis conference in 2007, in
which Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed to 'immediately
launch good faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace
treaty resolving all outstanding issues...'
It was unclear if Lieberman was reflecting an official government
position.
Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas, have
called on the new government to officially adopt the position of a
two-state solution as the basis for a peace deal.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story