Israeli FM Calls New Peace Initiative 'Naïve'

Wednesday June 15, 2011 06:38 by Palestine News Network

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli Army radio on Tuesday that focusing the international Mid-East policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was, "naive."

Lieberman pointed to events in other countries including Yemen, Syria, Iran, Sudan and Pakistan and said the recent EU peace initiative was, "an attempt to distort the international community's correct set of priorities," reported Israeli daily Haaretz.

Lieberman's statements come at the heels of a letter sent to top international negotiators by Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief, that called for a meeting of the Quarter negotiating team to revive peace talks.

The Quartet includes the US, UN, Russia and the EU.

Ashton's letter talked about the pressing need to find a solution to the conflict because of the sudden political changes in the Arab world taking place.

Lieberman said, "you are trying to take the Palestinian story and alter the natural agenda in the Middle East ... you can't compare the situation in the Arab world to what is happening here."

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