Talks at a dead end, says Israel

RAMALLAH. April 17. KAZINFORM. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman yesterday bluntly told US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell that a different approach was needed to resolve the Middle East conflict; Kazinform refers to Arab News.
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Lieberman told Mitchell ? who came here to press Israel to accept a two-state solution ? that ?new ideas? must be found, because the traditional approach to the peace process taken by previous governments has proven futile and ?has not brought any results or solutions,? despite the fact that Israel made dramatic concessions. The minister cited the July 2007 war in Lebanon, the Israeli offensive in Gaza, Qatar and Mauritania scrapping diplomatic ties with the Jewish state and the fact that Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is still in Hamas captivity as proof of the diplomatic process reaching a dead end. Reacting to Lieberman?s statement, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said it means Israel will not conduct peace talks. ?It?s very obvious that this government rejects a two-state solution and the agreements (already) signed,? he said. Mitchell later met with Netanyahu who has yet to unveil his policy on peace efforts but has spoken of shifting the emphasis to stimulating the Palestinian economy instead of supporting the process accepted by the US and Israel up to now ? direct negotiations toward a full peace treaty between two states. Officials in Netanyahu?s office said his message to Mitchell was that Israel would not risk the creation of another Hamas-controlled entity on its border. Netanyahu has warned that creation of a Palestinian state could place extremists next to Israel in the West Bank. Also, the Palestinians would have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, a step they have refused to take so far. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no statement had been made; Kazinform cites Arab News. See www.arabnews.com for full version.
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