Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: A bloc of European states that supports us

Interview with FM Liberman on Israel Radio
(2 Dec 2009)
[Translated from Hebrew]
The foreign minister's visit to the OSCE conference
Eran Sikorel: Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman landed in 
Moscow a few hours ago, after attending the summit of foreign ministers 
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that took 
place this year in Athens
Let us begin with the visit you just completed in Greece. Israel is not 
a member of the OSCE, so how did you as Israeli foreign minister take 
part in this meeting?
FM Liberman: First of all, the organization was founded in the mid-90s 
and Israel has been participating from the very first in conferences 
held by this very important forum. Many other countries outside Europe 
also play an active part in it, and the last country that they decided 
to accept both as an observer and a participant was Australia, just for 
this conference. But other countries such as Canada and the United 
States and of course the Mediterranean states, Egypt and Jordan all 
participate in this forum. It was very interesting to sit there around 
the table. I would like to note that as one of the Mediterranean 
countries we were placed between Egypt and Jordan. We sat side by side 
and exchanged views and it was very interesting.
The Swedish draft on Jerusalem
Eran Sikorel: Surely you also discussed the Swedish draft proposal on 
Jerusalem. What impression did you get of the talks you held with the 
European leaders?
FM Liberman: Look, what the Swedes are more or less trying to do here is 
to pass - so as not to say sneak in - a quick resolution that not 
everyone will notice. I must say that most of the foreign ministers I 
spoke with were not really aware of it, and there are signs of a large 
bloc of countries who oppose the Swedish draft.
Everyone understands that the Swedish presidency is nearing its end - 
Sweden is currently the rotating president of the European Union - and 
such an attempt to pass such a crude and one-sided resolution towards 
the end of their presidency just before Spain steps in to head the 
European Union, doesn't seem reasonable, and I hope that the draft will 
be significantly corrected.
Eran Sikorel: Did you perhaps receive assurances from the leaders of 
Italy and other countries?
FM Liberman: Beyond assurances, today there is a bloc of European states 
that supports us in the most complex and difficult situations both for 
us and for them. I received the impression from those states that they 
will give us their support this time as well. There will even be 
additional countries that intend to support the Israeli position, and I 
must say I was impressed that our position - again this is not simple 
and nothing is unequivocal - but our position is much better than one 
might think based on the reports in the Israeli media.
Shmuel Tal: How can you really explain it? Have you ever tried to think, 
and you probably know firsthand, what is behind Sweden's actions? Why is 
it that they keep making up something new, and this time are pushing it 
through?  True, they're finishing their term at the end of the month, 
but they're doing an awful lot of damage as it would seem, and it also 
goes against the positions of the Quartet, of which the European Union 
is a part.
FM Liberman: Unfortunately Sweden has taken a very consistent 
anti-Israel stance in recent years, which is largely unaccepted in many 
European countries. This isn't the first time; their attitude is 
certainly different. We remember the Swedish government's reaction to 
the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, which they worked very hard to 
stop, and actually apologized. They issued an apology in writing on the 
subject… How do they suddenly remember freedom of speech when it comes 
to Israel and all sorts of distortions and lies connected with Israel? 
So this Swedish position is not new. Yet, again, what we see for sure, 
also within the European Union, is that there is no one uniform EU 
position. In the last three votes, there were always three different groups…
Shmuel Tal: Is this a feeble attempt to pull the rug out from under the 
American approach to U.S. foreign policy, trying to undermine President 
Obama's hegemony in every area of foreign policy?
FM Liberman: No. We see that at least three European states from the 
first tier are consistently standing up for us - Germany, Holland and 
Italy. The new member countries in the EU from Eastern Europe - Poland, 
the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary - also support Israel fairly 
consistently. I think in this case we also have here a difficult 
struggle within the European Union. There is a lot of curiosity 
surrounding the new high commissioner for foreign policy, the new 
foreign minister. What position will she take on the Middle East? So far 
we haven't actually heard anything from her on our issues.
Iran
Shmuel Tal: Minister Liberman, please allow me to change the subject. 
Being in Russia now, do you feel that the Russians have already grasped 
the facts about Iran or will soon grasp them? Because there are some 
deals in the making, the supply of sophisticated antiaircraft missiles 
and many more joint ploys, economic ones as well, between Russia and 
Iran. At what point will the breaking point come? Will you manage to 
move Russia to the side of the parties trying to stop Iran, to halt them 
while it's still possible?
FM Liberman: I think that today there is a clear understanding in Russia 
about Iranian policy, as Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov told me at our 
meeting yesterday. But besides that, what we see in Russia is that they 
are once again disappointed by the Iranian position, and they are not 
hiding their pessimism about the possibility of reaching some kind of 
arrangement with Iran.
Eran Sikorel: Perhaps no less important than that is Moscow. Is Moscow 
withstanding the pressure? Does it intend to continue delaying shipment 
of the antiaircraft missiles to Tehran?
FM Liberman: We see that the Russians are aligning themselves with the 
position of the United States and the European countries regarding 
sanctions. The format of 5+1 represents a uniform stance and we also saw 
President Obama and President Medvedev at their joint appearance, having 
the exact same position regarding engagement with the Iranians.
Eran Sikorel: You see the Russians as supporting…
FM Liberman: Also on the subject of the Russian missiles, they are 
delaying them and not supplying the missiles, as we understand from the 
Iranian announcements. They did not supply the missiles to the Iranians 
and today the Russian position is much closer to that of the United 
States than ever before, at least since I have been dealing with the 
issue of Iran.
Eran Sikorel: Does closer mean support in the form of real sanctions 
against Iran? Is that what you heard from Minister Lavrov?
FM Liberman: I did not hear anything concrete, but we heard 
disappointment and a fair amount of pessimism. It is clear that the 
decision will be made in the next two weeks at the meeting of the 5+1 - 
the five permanent Security Council countries plus Germany. This is 
disturbing to everyone; I wish to reemphasize that everyone was talking 
about Iran at all the meetings with leaders of all the countries.
Shmuel Tal: Tomorrow you are supposed to meet with Prime Minister Putin. 
Is there a possibility that afterwards you and Prime Minister Putin will 
issue a joint statement?
FM Liberman: I don't think we will be issuing a statement, and the 
meeting is scheduled for Friday, not tomorrow. Tomorrow is the mixed 
commission on trade and economic cooperation, together with my 
counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Zubkov, and the meeting with the 
prime minister is scheduled for Friday. At any rate, I think there is 
awareness not just in the European countries, but among all who attended 
the conference, and there were also many Asian countries there, and the 
United States and Canada; not just the European continent was 
represented at this convention. Absolutely everyone is concerned and 
aware of the dangers of the Iranian issue; everyone is waiting for the 
international community's response, for it to adopt an uncompromising 
position.
Shmuel Tal: In the meantime, Ahmadinejad seems to be showing contempt 
for everyone.
FM Liberman: I think that is in fact how everyone took Ahmadinejad's 
speech yesterday. It was considered a kind of slap in the face to the 
entire international community, and it will be very interesting to see 
what the reaction will be.
Ukraine
Eran Sikorel: To conclude, Mr. Minister, you will be visiting the 
Ukraine later on in your trip. Ukraine is one of the countries that did 
support Israel on the Goldstone report. How do you explain that support, 
and the closer relations that are developing with this fairly important 
country?
FM Liberman: It certainly is an important country, with 55 million 
people, a country that lies between east and west, and one that has 
twice supported us, both in Geneva in the Human Rights Council, and at 
the UN General Assembly in New York. It supported the State of Israel in 
these United Nations deliberations, and it is important to encourage and 
further strengthen the ties with this country.
Suspension of construction in Judea and Samaria
Shmuel Tal: Minister Liberman, if we may close with a subject that 
cannot be overlooked - are you in favor of the plan that was proposed 
and passed in the cabinet - ten months of no new construction in Judea 
and Samaria? Benny Begin voted in favor, there was across-the-board 
support, and the result in the cabinet was unequivocal. Why don't the 
heads of the local authorities in Judea and Samaria believe the 
government that this is going to be a one-time move that is limited in 
time? Is it a reflection of the government's record or their bad experience?
FM Liberman: First of all, the heads of the local authorities in Judea 
and Samaria must take the position that they are taking. They have to 
protect the interests of their constituencies and their residents, and 
their position is understandable in this context. What I can promise is 
that the state intends - and yesterday the prime minister emphasized 
this once again - after ten months, to resume normal activity in Judea 
and Samaria, including construction activity. We have made another 
gesture of goodwill, but this will also end. I supported it, I believe 
it was a good decision, and I felt so also at the meeting in Athens. We 
did not hide the fact that after ten months we will go back to building 
in Judea and Samaria.
Eran Sikorel: Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, thank you very much.

 Eccome noh
e il bue, l'asino ecc. ecc.
amalric si e' decesarizzato. sara' questione di religione?


di sicuro è una questione di religione in tuo cut sul nome di
Bernadotte. Ancora non sei riuscito a trovare nella monnezza qualche
sionista con abbastanza pelo sullo stomaco da giustificare persino
quella porcata?