One of the features of the various peace treaties between Israel and its Arab neighbors has been the ability of hard right Israeli politicians to "sell" the treaty to the more intransigent factions in Israel itself when more liberal governments failed. All the more hopeful then are the comments made by Avigdor Lieberman in an interview with the UK's Daily Telegraph published Friday.
Avigdor Lieberman, the hawkish Israeli foreign minister widely regarded as a major obstacle to peace with the Palestinians, has urged his country to accept the deal currently being brokered by Washington as the best offer it will ever receive.
In a change of direction likely to shock the jaded Middle Eastern diplomatic scene, Mr Lieberman said that John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, deserved praise and thanks for his efforts to bring the Israelis and Palestinians together.
“It’s the best proposal we can get and we really appreciate the efforts of Secretary of State John Kerry. He has really put a lot of energy into the issue,” Mr Lieberman told the Telegraph
If this "new realism" policy is carried through, we may well see the framework agreement being pushed through by Kerry by his dealine of April.
Interesting times.