An Israeli hard-line foreign minister on Tuesday said that there was no chance of a Palestinian state being established by 2012.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, said on Tuesday that there was no chance of a Palestinian state by 2012 - Photo by : Tara Todras-Whitehill/Associated Press
The comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman came on the day that George Mitchell, a White House envoy was set to arrive in Israel to mediate a fifth round of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
The comments came during a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and has received condemnation from Palestinian officials.
Lieberman said “As an optimist, I see no chance that a Palestinian state will be established by 2012,”
And continued “We can express interest, we can dream, but in reality, we are still far from reaching understandings and agreements on establishing an independent state by 2012.”
The Israeli Foreign Minister also risked International condemnation after the International community set a target for making a deal between the two hostile sides by 2012.
The main aim of George Mitchell who is in indirect talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials, is to organize direct talks between the two sides.
The Middle Eastern peace negotiators are made up of U.S., Russia, United Nations and European Union representatives and have spent over nine years to make a sustainable piece deal between the two sides.
Foreign Minister Lieberman is known as a hard line Israeli Politician who supported the re-drawing of Israel’s land in areas with heavy Arab population to be included in the Palestinian area.
