Israel Matzav: 'The era of groveling is over'?

'The era of groveling is over'?

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman seems to have confused election rhetoric with the actual program. In a speech to a conference of Israel's ambassadors gathered in Jerusalem on Saturday night, Lieberman announced "the era of groveling is over."

Unnamed officials in the ministry assessed that Lieberman was directing his remarks especially at Gaby Levy, posted in Turkey, who is making efforts to mend ties between Ankara and Jerusalem.

"I have seen several ambassadors whose identification with the countries where they are posted is so great they are constantly trying to justify [to Israel] the other side's point of view," the foreign minister said. "This stance is wrong. There should not be an attitude of groveling and self-effacement."

"We will not look for friction and confrontation but we will also not turn the other cheek. For every action there will be a reaction and this is the policy I demand from the ambassadors," Lieberman added.

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Regarding recent talk of the possibility that negotiations with the Palestinian Authority would soon resume, the foreign minister said Israel "does not need to give any more in order to speak to [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas]. We have paid enough. We have made many gestures and received nothing in return. On the contrary; there is a limit to hypocrisy. You can't speak of a new era and at the same time sentence to death those who sell land to Jews, a sentence signed by Abbas."

We can only wish that the Prime Minister would feel the same way as Lieberman. The JPost reports on Sunday morning that 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen might agree to talk to Israeli negotiators - if only they make a few more concessions.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he would not return to negotiations unless Israel declared a complete settlement construction halt, including building in east Jerusalem.

Abbas, according to a PA official, is expected to travel to Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak about the possible resumption of peace talks with Israel. Before heading to the Egyptian capital, Abbas met in Ramallah with US Consul-General Daniel Rubenstein.

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In addition to calling for a complete settlement freeze, Abbas has also recently demanded that the international community recognize the June 4, 1967 lines as the boundaries of a future Palestinian state.

One PA official said that in recent weeks there has been an apparent "change" in Israel's policy that could pave the way for the resumption of the talks. He claimed that Netanyahu was now apparently ready to recognize the pre-1967 lines as the basis for future talks with the Palestinians.

He also said that the prime minister was ready to discuss swapping territory between the Palestinians and Israel.

"We're beginning to hear new things from Israel," the official said.

"For the first time an Israeli government is willing to negotiate with us on the basis of the 1967 borders, and this is an encouraging move."

Such a move would represent a considerable concession, since Netanyahu has always said that the basis for any settlement would have to be "secure and defensible" borders, and that the pre-1967 lines did not meet that criteria. Israeli diplomatic officials said on Saturday night there has been no change in the prime minister's position on this matter.

So Lieberman tells our ambassadors not to grovel while the Prime Minister goes to Cairo and does just that? What could go wrong?

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Israel Matzav: 'The era of groveling is over'?