French President Nicolas Sarkozy's critical remarks about Israel's hawkish foreign minister, during his recent meeting with Netanyahu, are just the tip of the iceberg. Many diplomats who have met Lieberman got the feeling that there was no one to talk to and that he has no influence over the Israeli decision-making process.
The fact that Lieberman has left a bad impression is evident from a story he himself told Moscow's Jewish community about his meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Lieberman told his counterpart that the "natural growth" of West Bank settlements required continued construction, citing the shortage of kindergartens in his hometown of Nokdim as an example. Kouchner cynically retorted that faced with a shortage, the children of Nokdim could always attend Palestinian kindergartens. "I'm not sure they have kindergartens," was what Lieberman told his Moscow audience he replied. "And even if they did, our kids wouldn't make it back alive."
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TGIA, I think allowing Israeli settlers to attend Palestinian schools and colleges would be a good idea. This would facilitate greater understanding on the part of Israelis for their Palestinians brothers and sisters. The Israeli government could substantially fund Palestinian schools and colleges as part of the bargain.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, the Israelis should give fully funded scholarships to Israeli universities for Gazans and West Bank Palestinians.
Without mutual understanding, how can Israelis and Palestinians adjust to each other?
I think Israelis should be subject to the same treatment as Palestinians, so they can get a "real grasp" of what is going on...
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