Avigdor Lieberman Speech: If The World Is Aghast, Why Is Daniel Pipes Elated? (Updated)

In Avigdor Lieberman's Brilliant Debut, Daniel Pipes finds a number of points in Avigdor Lieberman's first speech worthy of note. Among them:

The Road Map: The speech's most surprising piece of news is Lieberman's focus on and endorsement of the Road Map, a 2003 diplomatic initiative he voted against at the time but which is, as he puts it, "the only document approved by the cabinet and by the Security Council." He calls it "a binding resolution" that the new government must implement. In contrast, he specifically notes that the government is not bound by the Annapolis accord of 2007 ("Neither the cabinet nor the Knesset ever ratified it").

Implementing the Road Map: Lieberman intends to "act exactly" according to the letter of the Road Map, including its Tenet and Zinni sub-documents. Then comes one of his two central statements of the speech:

I will never agree to our waiving all the clauses - I believe there are 48 of them - and going directly to the last clause, negotiations on a permanent settlement. No. These concessions do not achieve anything. We will adhere to it to the letter, exactly as written. Clauses one, two, three, four - dismantling terrorist organizations, establishing an effective government, making a profound constitutional change in the Palestinian Authority. We will proceed exactly according to the clauses. We are also obligated to implement what is required of us in each clause, but so is the other side. They must implement the document in full.

Read the whole thing.

One can imagine how uncomfortable Lieberman has made Israel's critics: imagine saying point blank that Abbas and the PA have obligations of their own to fulfill--obligations that they agreed to in writing!

The world sees a second Palestinian state as a right--it is not, and never has been. 
The world wants to give a second Palestinian state away as a gift--without any precondition other than empty promises.

Giving a state to the Palestinian Arabs should amount to more than giving a dog to a child who promises to walk and feed it. The parents knows that inevitably they will end up cleaning behind the dog. In the case of the Palestinians, after the world hands over the state, it will be Israel that has to clean up the mess.

UPDATE: Check out Rick Richman, who notes that Lieberman apparently drew the wrath of the New York Times by quoting in Latin.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

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