Masters Lieberman and Netanyahu Praise Obama for Standing Against Palestinian Aspirations for Freedom

Netanyahu tells Obama Palestinian UN bid doomed

Published yesterday (updated) 21/09/2011 20:54

NEW YORK (Reuters) -

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that direct negotiation was the only way to achieve a stable Middle East peace and the Palestinian effort to secure UN recognition of statehood "will not succeed."

Netanyahu made the remarks at a meeting with President Barack Obama, who reiterated the unwavering US commitment to Israel and said efforts to impose peace on Israel and the Palestinians would not work.

Seated next to Netanyahu in a UN conference room following his speech, Obama said he stood firmly with Israel.

"One side's actions in the United Nations will achieve neither statehood nor self-determination for the Palestinians," he said.

For his part, Netanyahu said that the Palestinians wish to establish a state but without first forging peace with Israel and called for greater international support to its position.

"My hope is that there will be other leaders in the world, responsible leaders, who will heed your call, Mr. President, and oppose this effort to shortcut peace negotiation and, in fact, to avoid them. Because, I think that avoiding these negotiations is bad for Israel, bad for the Palestinians, and bad for peace," Netanyahu said.

Lieberman Welcomes Obama’s Statements

Wednesday September 21, 2011 21:24 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, welcomed the statements of U.S. President, Barack Obama, in front of the General Assembly in New York, and described them as “encouraging”.

Lieberman, who is currently in New York, said that “there are no shortcuts to peace”, and that “Peace can only be achieved through peace talks”, yet, he stated that Israel “has the right to build and expand its settlements“ in the occupied territories.

In his speech, Obama did not mention the border of 1967 as the base of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but only said that the conflict can only be resolved through talks, and not through international bodies.

Lieberman called on the Palestinians to return to peace talks, while insisting that Israel will not halt its settlement activities.

As a member of Knesset, Lieberman always considered the Arabs and the Palestinians as a "demographic and strategic threats to Israel", and called for their expulsion to Arab countries.

In 2006, Israel created portfolio and ministry of Strategic Affairs for Lieberman and his party to join the coalition government of former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Lieberman left the government on 18 January 2008, and the ministry was dismantled three months afterwards.

The Ministry was reinstated in March 2009, to be headed by Likud Member of Knesset, Israel's former Chief of Staff, current Vice Prime Minister, Moshe Ya'alon.

Meanwhile, head of the opposition in Israel, Tzipi Livni of the Kadima party, stated that “Obama set the foundations of the conflict in a balanced way”, especially when he said that peace can be achieved through peace talks and not through decisions made by the UN.

Livni called on Netanyahu to resume the peace process “not only for the sake of the Palestinians, but also for the sake of the Israelis as well”.

The Palestinians had to quit peace talks with Israel due to its ongoing invasions and violations, and due to its policies of the construction and expansion of Jewish-only settlements in Palestine.

Settlements are illegal under international law, the Fourth Geneva Conventions, and constitute war crimes.

Years of peace talks with Israel led to massive construction and expansion of settlements on Palestinian lands, while Israel continues to insist that it will not accept the Right of Return of the Palestinian refugees and all related international resolutions.

Obama Tells UN: "Only Talks Will Create Palestinian State"

Wednesday September 21, 2011 18:30 by Alaa Ashkar - IMEMC & Agencies

US President, Barack Obama, told the UN General Assembly that the Palestinians deserve a state of their own, but added that this state can only be established through direct peace talks with Israel, the Maan News agency stated.

“I am convinced that there is no short cut to the end of a conflict that has continued for decades", Obama said, "Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the UN”.

“Ultimately, it is the Israelis and Palestinians – not us- who must reach agreement on the issue that divides them: on borders and security, on refugees and Jerusalem, peace is based on concessions” he added.

He also reconfirmed that "U.S. commitments to Israel’s security are unshakable", urging allies to recognize the two-state solution.

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the 66th Session of the General Assembly, Obama stated that "the only road to peace is through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians".

He added that peace cannot be achieved through resolutions made by the UN, adding that the Palestinians deserve a state, but this state "can only be achieved through direct peace talks with Israel.

Obama further stated that "the Jewish people built their state under tough situations", and that "Israel is surrounded by neighbors who fought wars against it", the Maan News Agency reported.

The U.S president also said that Washington believes that peace in not only the absence of war, but the fight against ignorance, disease and terrorism.

His statements did not address the plight of millions of Palestinian refugees who were displaced and forced out of their homeland when Israel was created in 1948 in the historic land of Palestine.

He also failed to mention the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, and the ongoing settlement construction and expansion in the occupied West Bank and in occupied East Jerusalem.

Obama also did not mention the fact that Israel ignored several Security Council and United Nations resolutions calling for a full withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel in 1967, including occupied East Jerusalem. .

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