Israeli official: No Palestinian state by 2012
The remarks by the hard-line foreign minister could complicate envoy Mitchell's latest visit.
JERUSALEM - Israel's hard-line foreign minister said Tuesday that he saw "no chance" that a Palestinian state would be established by 2012 - a message that threatened to cloud the latest visit by President Obama's Mideast envoy.
The comments by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman drew swift Palestinian condemnations and could put Israel at odds with the international community, which has set a 2012 target for brokering a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We can express interest, we can dream, but in reality, we are still far from reaching understandings and agreements on establishing an independent state by 2012," Lieberman said at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russia, the United States, the European Union, and United Nations make up the "Quartet" of Mideast negotiators - an international group that has spent nearly a decade trying to forge a peace agreement.
Later Tuesday, Lavrov flew to Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said the talks with Aboul Gheit centered on Middle East peace talks and other regional issues.
White House envoy George Mitchell was set to mediate a fifth round of indirect talks between the sides starting Wednesday. He is trying to prod Israel and the Palestinians into direct negotiations.
It wasn't clear whether Lieberman was expressing his own opinion or government policy. A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment.
Lieberman is a contentious figure because he supports redrawing Israel's borders to push areas with heavy concentrations of Arabs out of Israel and into Palestinian jurisdiction. He also undertook a failed effort in parliament to force Israeli Arabs to take a loyalty oath or lose their citizenship.
A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' West Bank government accused Lieberman of defying international efforts to wrap up a deal.
"Lieberman is issuing a challenge to the international community, which is in agreement on the two-year ceiling," said the spokesman, Ghassan Khatib.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called Lieberman's comments "a severe slap to the Palestinians and the Arabs who believe in the mirage of a peace agreement."
He said Hamas was calling on Abbas to stop pursuing peace with Israel.
Talks between Palestinians and Israelis resumed in May after a 17-month breakdown. The Palestinians have insisted on U.S. mediation. Israel says direct talks are the only way to solve the conflict.