Coolassprov MC
05-11-06, 11:01
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6193190,00.html
Israeli Official: Separate Jews, Arabs
Sunday November 5, 2006 10:46 AM
By ARON HELLER
Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM (AP) - A far right politician who recently joined Israel's government called Sunday for a near-total separation of Jews and Arabs in the Holy Land, saying there was no hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Avigdor Lieberman said Israel should follow the example of Cyprus, which has been divided into Greek and Turkish sections since 1974. Repeated attempts to unify the Mediterranean island have failed.
``Anywhere in the world where there are two peoples and two religions ... there is conflict,'' Lieberman told Army Radio. ``What we have seen in Cyprus is that since they have that model, there is no terror. There is security. There is no peace but there is security.''
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert brought Lieberman into his government last week to shore up a shaky coalition. Lieberman's hawkish views have raised concerns throughout the world that he will use his powerful post as minister for ``strategic threats'' to block attempts to pursue peace.
In the interview, Lieberman repeated his view that Israel should strip Arabs living near the West Bank of their Israeli citizenship and place them under Palestinian jurisdiction. Arabs permitted to remain in Israel would have to take a loyalty test or risk losing their citizenship, he said. Jewish settlements in the West Bank would be incorporated into Israel.
``The answer is exchanges of land and populations and making a homogeneous, Jewish country as much as possible,'' he said. ``I don't know why the Palestinians deserve a country that is clean of Jews ... and we are becoming a binational country, where 20 percent are minorities. If we want to keep this a Jewish, Zionist country, there is no other solution.''
Israeli Official: Separate Jews, Arabs
Sunday November 5, 2006 10:46 AM
By ARON HELLER
Associated Press Writer
JERUSALEM (AP) - A far right politician who recently joined Israel's government called Sunday for a near-total separation of Jews and Arabs in the Holy Land, saying there was no hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Avigdor Lieberman said Israel should follow the example of Cyprus, which has been divided into Greek and Turkish sections since 1974. Repeated attempts to unify the Mediterranean island have failed.
``Anywhere in the world where there are two peoples and two religions ... there is conflict,'' Lieberman told Army Radio. ``What we have seen in Cyprus is that since they have that model, there is no terror. There is security. There is no peace but there is security.''
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert brought Lieberman into his government last week to shore up a shaky coalition. Lieberman's hawkish views have raised concerns throughout the world that he will use his powerful post as minister for ``strategic threats'' to block attempts to pursue peace.
In the interview, Lieberman repeated his view that Israel should strip Arabs living near the West Bank of their Israeli citizenship and place them under Palestinian jurisdiction. Arabs permitted to remain in Israel would have to take a loyalty test or risk losing their citizenship, he said. Jewish settlements in the West Bank would be incorporated into Israel.
``The answer is exchanges of land and populations and making a homogeneous, Jewish country as much as possible,'' he said. ``I don't know why the Palestinians deserve a country that is clean of Jews ... and we are becoming a binational country, where 20 percent are minorities. If we want to keep this a Jewish, Zionist country, there is no other solution.''