Sunday, October 10, 2010

FM Lieberman to EU: Solve Europe's problems first, Israel will not be Czechoslovakia

"Before you teach us how to resolve conflicts here, I expect at the very least that you solve all the problems in Europe," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told his French and Spanish counterparts Bernard Kouchner and Miguel Moratinos Sunday night.

During their meeting in Jerusalem, Lieberman said, "In 1938 the European community decided to appease Hitler instead of supporting the loyal ally Czechoslovakia, and sacrificed it without gaining anything.

"We have no intention of becoming 2010's Czechoslovakia and will insist on Israel's vital interests."

Lieberman also told his counterparts that the West has failed in resolving conflicts and that he does not understand why Israel was being singled out. "It seems as though the international community is trying to make up for its failure to resolve conflicts in Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan and other places by trying to bring about an Israeli-Palestinian agreement within a year," he said.

"Instead of discussing the upcoming referendum in Sudan with the Arab League or discussing the explosive situation that is expected in Iraq in 2012, Israel is being pressured. This may lead to the collapse of the negotiations, just as it did in 2000 following the Camp David summit."