Arab League chief: 'The Israeli position on peace is negative'

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Arab League chief Amr Moussa was quoted on Thursday as saying that the appointment of Israel Beiteinu chair Avigdor Lieberman to the post of foreign minister had altered Israel's tone towards the Palestinians, rather than its policy. Reuters quoted Moussa as saying that the previous government did not abide by international agreements, and continued settlement construction in the West Bank. He also noted that Israel had not yet responded to the Saudi-proposed Arab Peace Initiative. Speaking to reporters in Cairo, he said, "In my opinion the previous government of Israel did not honor the understandings on which the Annapolis [peace] conference and process was based… What the new foreign minister in Israel is saying is putting that in a blunt, very aggressive way." Moussa was further quoted as saying, "The new style of talking is just a new style. It does not initiate a new position. We know the Israeli position is negative when it comes to peace, when it comes to initiatives of peace."