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Ma'ariv: "Who's Afraid of Lieberman"

APN's Ori Nir: "There is great concern here, not about the image that this will create for Israel, but about the real way that this will affect Israel's national security."
March 4, 2009

Ma'ariv (p. 5) by Maya Bengal et al. -- The very real possibility that Avigdor Lieberman will be appointed as the State of Israel's foreign minister causes disquiet at best and deep concern at worst among the Arab states, Europe and the United States.   These countries did not disregard his election campaign slogans , "no citizenship, no loyalty," and "only Lieberman understands Arabic."  In addition, they still remember his statements about bombing the Aswan Dam and his statement about President Mubarak (he can go to hell).  "It's different if we put Peres as the State of Israel's foreign minister, because then Israel receives sympathy in the world.  He is received with open arms, he is respected and the State of Israel gains from this," said a former senior Israeli diplomat.  "But what kind of Israel will be shown to the world when its first representative is a rigid and racist right winger.  We are putting in Israel's display window a figure who is the antithesis of what a foreign minister should be."

   Here are some of the prevalent attitudes towards Lieberman around the world.

Egypt. "Persona non grata"

   Avigdor Lieberman is considered a persona non grata in Egypt.  He received this status thanks to a statement attributed to him at the start of the [second] Intifada, in which he threatened to bomb the High Dam at Aswan if Egypt should send troops into Sinai.  In addition, he referred four months ago in the Knesset plenum, to Mubarak's refusal to visit Israel.  "A leader who wants to talk to us should come here.  If he doesn't want to, he can go to the blazes," he said at the time.

   In Egypt, Lieberman is identified more than anything with his first statement.  Egyptian sources clarify that this was the first time since the peace agreement between the two countries was signed that a senior Israeli politician threatened Egypt, and in such outspoken terms.  "This is not criticism, such as was voiced about Egypt's performance on the matter of the tunnels, with which Cairo can cope," says an Egyptian source who is well-versed in the relations between the two countries, "what Lieberman said about the High Dam was an explicit threat."

   The same source added that in his opinion, anyone who thinks that the Egyptians would receive Lieberman in Cairo, even if he should be appointed as foreign minister, was wrong.  "First he would have to apologize for the two statements attributed to him," he said.

   However, he added that Lieberman is not considered the main problem on the Israeli front, as far as Cairo is concerned.  "Lieberman is perceived in Egypt as a madman, a fanatic, someone who is searching for political gain and does so through humiliating Egypt," he noted, "but he has no foreign policy agenda, he is a man of slogans.  The person who poses a greater danger is Yuval Steinitz.  He is leading an agenda based on the principle that Egypt is a threat to Israel."

Europe. "The Israeli Haider"

   Sources in Jewish communities in two central European capitals have voiced concern in the past few days regarding the possibility that Avigdor Lieberman would be appointed to the post of foreign minister.  They said that such an appointment could contribute to further extremism in positions against Israel within the political center and left wing in the continent.  "Lieberman, whether justifiably or not, is a red rag for several governments here.  All they know about him is that he is a right wing extremist who used to be a nightclub bouncer and wants to strip the Israeli Arabs of their citizenship.  Even if this description is incorrect, they will not change their opinion so quickly."

   The Jewish sources made these statements against the backdrop of reports in Israel that Binyamin Netanyahu was planning to appoint Lieberman as foreign minister, and voiced concern that hostility towards Israel would be expressed in diplomatic moves and negative developments in the realm of international law.

   In recent weeks, several European media organizations published unflattering portraits of Lieberman, in which he was described, among other things, as "the spiritual counterpart of the late Austrian racist Joerg Haider."  European Union officials refuse, as of now, to comment on the possible appointment of Lieberman to the post, and the official position is that the European Union will seek to promote the peace process with any Israeli government.  However, unofficially, European sources have voiced "cautious concern" at the expected developments in Israel.

United States. Cold shoulder

   Officials in Washington are following with great concern the possible appointment of Avigdor Lieberman as the State of Israel's foreign minister.  Lieberman, whose opinions regarding a population exchange and the demand of loyalty for citizenship are known to anyone who follows Israeli politics, may receive a very cold shoulder when going to the US capital, which is known to be the most important capital as far as Israel is concerned.  Official sources in the State Department replied politely to the question of how matters would be conducted between foreign minister Lieberman and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  A senior State Department official said: Until the government is formed, we will not engage in speculation.  But there were others who were not afraid to express their opinion.  Steve Rabinowitz, who heads a body that represents many Jewish organizations in Washington, said that a possible appointment of Lieberman was very worrying.  He said: It would be a scandal.  Bibi has the authority to form a government as he sees fit, that is his will, but it would be very ineffective.

   Ori Nir, spokesman of Americans for Peace Now, who works on a daily basis with Congress members and officials in the liberal administration, and enjoys an attentive ear on Capitol Hill, said to Ma'ariv that there was great concern among Israel's supporters in Washington.  "We are careful not to deal with internal Israeli politics, but this is irregular.  There is great concern here, not about the image that this will create for Israel, but about the real way that this will affect Israel's national security."

   On the right wing side of American Jewry, opinions are more varied, and some are willing to give Lieberman a chance.  Morris Amitay, a lobbyist and former executive director of AIPAC, said that he was not troubled.  "People don't know him.  I still don't know him.  And they judge him only by what they read in the media.  I'm sure that when he comes to Washington, he will present the government's opinions and not his private opinions.  He should be given a chance."  Amitay added: "I'm more worried about his ability to express himself in English."

Israel. Foreign Ministry officials are calm

   Contrary to everything that has been said so far, many of the Foreign Ministry employees are actually eager for Avigdor Lieberman's Lieberman as foreign minister.  "After many years, we hope that Lieberman will upgrade the standing of the Foreign Ministry, will show personal involvement in relations with countries around the world, and mainly will obtain budgets for PR and personnel for the ministry," said senior ministry staff.  Some of the employees said that they were not afraid that Lieberman would damage Israel's standing internationally: "We aren't afraid that Lieberman will ruin relations with the West and turn [Israel] into a pariah state," said one employee.

   Another employee said: "We aren't afraid of his Russian accent, his beard or his positions."