Thursday, October 8, 2009

FM Lieberman to Tell Mitchell:No Peace Deal Possible; many conflicts never reached a comprehensive solution

(Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister said on Thursday he would tell a visiting U.S. Middle East envoy that there was no chance of reaching a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians for many years.

Foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman is due to meet U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, in Jerusalem on Thursday to discuss, among other issues, the stalled peace process with the Palestinians.

"I will tell him clearly, there are many conflicts in the world that haven't reached a comprehensive solution and people learned to live with it," Lieberman told Israel Radio.

"But together with this, people made the most dramatic decision. To give up using force. To give up terror. And to stop inciting against one another," he said.

"What is possible to reach is a long-term intermediate agreement ... that leaves the tough issues for a much later stage," Lieberman said, referring to issues like the future status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and borders.