On Sunday, President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak welcomed French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos.
The Europeans asked Israeli decision-makers to make their mark in history by achieving a two-state solution through direct talks. Kouchner told Peres, "We're optimistic. It takes time, it always takes time in this region, but this is a delicate moment where we can make an effort and make progress in direct talks and in peace."
Moratinos added, "We are optimistic in light of what happened in the last month, despite the difficulties and concerns of the two sides, but both sides sent a clear and strong message to the international community that they want to keep up the momentum, keep an open door to direct talks, and they are ready to move on to significant matters."
Peres gave a neutral response by putting the ball in the court of the Palestinian Authority: "We can not give up on peace. t is clear to all sides that the alternative is worse and dangerous." Netanyahu simply told the European statesmen that he is aiming for a peace agreement with the Palestinians within a year.
However, Barak's response was a clearer one: "Thank you, we will consider an agreement only based on our conditions." He said:
They both take a lot of time working towards a real European contribution to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. I know that they are both friends of Israel, and they are respected by the Palestinians and throughout the Arab world . Therefore, they can really help. However, there will be disagreements with the minsters when we sit around a table in a closed room, specifically about the building moratorium.
Kouchner replied with a challenge: "The international community cannot be satisfied with a prolonged deadlock." I therefore believe that one cannot rule out in principle the Security Council option."
Then an even more dramatic moment came. In a separate meeting, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gave a response to the Ministers that was similar to Barak's in substance but far different in tone. Lieberman explicitly accused the European Union of "appeasing" Iran and other radicals and of leaving its ally alone as they did before the beginning of the Second World War. "We have no intention of becoming 2010's Czechoslovakia and will insist on Israel's vital interests," said Lieberman.
The Israeli Foreign Minister then accused his counterparts of a guilt complex:
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.
According to an Israeli source, both ministers were furious over Lieberman's words and told him during a later phone conversation that he had "violated every rule of diplomatic etiquette".
Is there a grand vision behind Lieberman's far-from-diplomatic act? And, if so, has it been worked out with his Prime Minister and the Israeli Cabinet?