Pakistan biggest threat to Israel: Israeli FM

Tel Aviv, Apr.23 (ANI): Israel considers Pakistan as its biggest strategic threat rather than Iran.

Expressing concern over the increasing Taliban threat in Pakistan, Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq were the three countries from which Israel faces an immediate threat.

"Pakistan is nuclear and unstable and Afghanistan is faced with a potential Taliban takeover, and the combination forms a contiguous area of radicalism ruled in the spirit of Osama bin Laden," The Daily Times quoted Lieberman, as saying.

Raising doubts over the US peace initiatives for the Middle-East, Lieberman said America too is skeptical about its move.

"Believe me, America accepts all our decisions," Lieberman added.

Hinting at an improved relationship between Israel and Russia in the near future, he said Moscow could play a more decisive role in the region.

"Russia has a special influence in the Muslim world, and I consider it a strategic partner that should play a key role in the Middle East.I have argued for some time that Israel has insufficient appreciation for the 'Kremlin factor'. I intend to mend this gap," Lieberman said.

Earlier, Lieberman had ruled out an Arab peace initiative terming it a 'dangerous proposal' which was bound to result in destruction of the country.

About the idea of a two-state solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, he said it lacked substance. (ANI)