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  Opinion: 'Dear Mr. Lieberman, in General, You Are not Welcome Here'

Opinion 'Dear Mr. Lieberman, in General, You Are not Welcome Here'

By Erich Follath

Part 2: Why Is Israel a Problem for Peace Rather than a Solution?

What is wrong with Israel? How can it be that an ultra-nationalist party like your Israel Beitenu (Israel my home) has become the third largest political force, and that a large proportion of the population can't even begin to imagine the suffering of the Palestinian civil population? Where does this flagging sense of compassion, this cynicism, this inability to make peace come from? Especially now that -- thanks to a new, proactive American president -- the cards are being reshuffled in the Middle East and new opportunities are emerging? Why is Israel becoming a problem for the peace process -- instead of its solution?

I know that many of my European counterparts are just as dismayed about your comments as I am, that shaking hands with you is a concession, a gesture of goodwill that doesn't come easily. Allow me to add by the way that I also tend to take politicians by their word, and I do this with you as well. This is exactly what you and your friends always demand that we do with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his irresponsible threats.

And now let's speak plainly, the kind of political straight talk that German Chancellor Angela Merkel avoided during her speech to the Knesset in March, 2008, where she, inexplicably -- and, in my opinion, out of a wrongly understood sense of consideration -- failed to even once criticize the Israeli settlement policy, which has been strongly condemned by the entire EU. The only chance that you have of (perhaps) preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power is to broker a "grand bargain" -- an overall settlement for the entire region. This would entail Israel making painful concessions, like concluding a peace agreement with Syria and giving back the Golan Heights. Israel would also need to grant the Palestinians their own state within viable borders -- and the Palestinians will hopefully internally agree on a moderate course. Believe me, we in the West are speaking behind closed doors just as energetically with the Arab side as with you. And Israel, with few exceptions, would have to withdraw all settlements (including perhaps your West Bank community of Nokdim, where you have chosen to live).

Should you actually diverge from this land-for-peace course, which was agreed in Annapolis, and refuse to budge on the settlement issue, we will work within the EU, using Germany's voice, to take measures against Israel. This process could also eventually lead to sanctions. And you should know that if Israel is planning to launch a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities -- and you are reportedly one of those who advocate such madness -- you will not only have the Islamic world but also all of Europe against you

And don't delude yourself, either: Even your best and most powerful friend, the US, won't back you up. Public opinion is changing there. Even the pro-Israeli lobby is increasingly coming to the realization that a totally uncompromising attitude, as has until recently been propagated by you and Prime Minister Netanyahu, would pose a greater long-term threat to the existence of Israel than a comprehensive compromise.

I don't know if Syria's President Bashar Assad is prepared to make peace. I have no idea if it is possible to strike a deal with the Iranian hardliners. Like you, Tehran's years of playing cat and mouse on the nuclear issue give me cause for skepticism. But I cannot imagine that you would one day want to say to your children: 'We didn't try everything.'

And now, my esteemed colleague, let us exit my office and tell them what they expect to hear: That we enjoyed getting to know each other, that we had a positive conversation, and that we are optimistic about the future of the Middle East."

Translated from the German by Paul Cohen.

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