Lieberman wins FM post in coalition deal

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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Avigdor Lieberman, who heads the right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, has drawn accusations of racism for some proposals.

Lieberman has proposed that Israel's Arab citizens sign loyalty oaths or lose their citizenship. Although that plan is not likely to be implemented, his designation as foreign minister could harm Israel's international ties.

The coalition agreement stated that Likud and Yisrael Beitenu favored the creation of a wide coalition, leaving the door open for centrists to join, and raised the possibility that someone else may become foreign minister if other parties join the coalition. Likud officials have said a "unity government" including the middle-of-the-road Kadima party led by current Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni could help avoid friction with U.S. President Barack Obama, who has pledged to pursue Palestinian statehood.

Meanwhile, the European Union urged Netanyahu to craft a government that embraces the long-standing goal of an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel - signaling that the appointment of Lieberman, a native of former Soviet Moldova, as foreign minister would be seen in Europe as a setback to Middle East peace efforts.

"Let me say very clearly that the way the EU will relate to an (Israeli) government that is not committed to a two-state solution will be very, very different," The Associated Press quoted, Javier Solana, the EU's foreign and security affairs chief, as saying. Israeli Arab MP Ahmed Tibi urged an international boycott of Lieberman. "No minister should meet him, especially no Arab minister," Tibi told Reuters. Speaking in Brussels, before the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu accord was signed, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the emerging government was "anti-peace," adding, "We have to declare that sadly there is no partner on the Israeli side to negotiate with."

Prisoner negotiations

As Netanyahu is putting together a hawkish coalition that is likely to be less accommodating to Hamas’ demands, Israel postponed a crucial Cabinet meeting a few hours before it was to convene yesterday morning, giving negotiators more time to try to finalize an agreement with Hamas over the release of a captive Israeli soldier held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

Adding urgency was a Palestinian shooting attack in the West Bank that killed two Israeli police officers. While talks continued past midnight in Cairo, lame-duck Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rescheduled the Cabinet meeting for today. Earlier he said this round of talks would be the last before Israel's new government takes over.

Winning the release of Sgt. Gilad Schalit would give Olmert a diplomatic victory in his final days as prime minister. Schalit, 22, was captured in June 2006 in a cross-border raid that killed two other soldiers. The kidnapping took place shortly after Olmert took office.