The JERUSALEM POST 06/19/2011 14:46

Liel: 'UN recognition of Palestinian state
wake-up call'
By DEBORAH DANAN

Ambassador Alon Liel, former Foreign Ministry DG and charge d'affaires in Turkey tells 20 Questions his thoughts on Turkish elections, Netanyahu's mistakes and peace talks with Syria.

Contrary to what the Israeli government believes, Liel avers that UN recognition of a Palestinian state could actually be in Israel’s interests by serving as a wake-up call. Since Israel and the Palestinians have demonstrated that they have “no ability whatsoever to reach an agreement,” it has to come from the outside. The international community must call upon Hamas to recognize Israel, and at the same time Israel must be called upon to be “more reasonable with its basic positions.”

In his recent speech to congress, the PM modified Israel’s current position on three key issues which, according to Liel, only exacerbates the conflict: 1) Netanyahu’s call for a united Jerusalem contradicts Israel’s position since Camp David of agreeing to divide the capital. 2) The call for military presence along the Jordan River was never mentioned before – not even by the PM himself in his Bar Ilan speech. 3) In the existing demand for Palestinian recognition of the State of Israel, the PM annexed recognizing Israel as a “Jewish state.” According to Liel, these three new positions are creating hurdles that the Palestinians cannot realistically overcome. Continue reading →