RAMALLAH — The leader of rightist Yisrael Beiteinu party Avigdor Lieberman repeated his controversial statements saying that a peace agreement with Palestinians was currently not possible. Lieberman, who resigned his foreign minister post after a criminal indictment was filed against him, said in an interview with Israeli Channel 2 television Saturday night that “anyone who thinks that in the center of the diplomatic, political, and social tsunami that is shaking the Arab World it is possible to get a magical solution of comprehensive peace with the Palestinians does not understand.” “I am saying clearly that it is impossible to reach a comprehensive agreement with the Palestinians,” said Lieberman, who has not hidden his desire to return to the helm at the Foreign Ministry after his upcoming trial. “It is impossible to solve the conflict, it needs to be managed.” Commenting on US President Barack Obama's expected visit and the chances of it reigniting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Lieberman said that “Israel has no chance of signing a permanent peace accord with the Palestinians and should instead seek a long-term interim deal.” Lieberman said the ball was “in Abu Mazen's (Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) court” to revive diplomacy. He said that he was in favor of negotiations with the Palestinians “at any time and in any place in the world, without preconditions.” Meanwhile, the London Sunday Times said that Obama will reportedly offer to up pressure on Iran in exchange for Israeli concessions toward the Palestinians when he visits Israel next month. The report said that two top Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aides dispatched to Washington, Yaakov Amidror and Yitzhak Molcho, are laying the groundwork for a Tehran-for-Ramallah deal, which the White House is open to. As part of the deal, Obama would be asked to ramp up pressure on Iran to pull back from its nuclear program, and in exchange Israel would hold talks with the Palestinian Authority on borders, security and even final status issues such as occupied Jerusalem and settlements. Last week, Amidror, Netanyahu's national security adviser, said that settlement building was problematic from an international standpoint, possibly signaling a change in Israeli government thinking ahead of Netanyahu's next term and Obama's visit. On Saturday, outgoing Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said he believed Obama would meet with Abbas, Netanyahu and possibly Jordan's King Abdullah. The three leaders last met in Washington in September 2009, leading to a 10-month Israeli moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.
