Settlements issue just a Palestinian excuse to avoid peace talks, says Lieberman

Jerusalem, June 20 (ANI): Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, has accused Palestine of using the issue of settlements as an excuse to avoid negotiations, which would ultimately lead to peace.

"It's very clear that it's not the settlements. It's an excuse for those that try to avoid any peace talks," The Jerusalem Post quoted Lieberman as saying, before his meeting with the UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon on Friday.

Furthermore, Lieberman said Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was enjoying support from American Jews following his speech on June 14, in which he endorsed the possibility of a two-state solution with a demilitarised Palestinian state.

"We agree on many points," Lieberman told reporters at a news conference at the United Nations on Friday.

He said it was natural that even close friends - such as the two countries are - disagree.

Lieberman said he discussed a range of issues, from the relationship between the Israel and the United Nations to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

They also touched on the situation in Iran and the "crazy nuclear arms race," which according to Lieberman, was a threat not only to Israel, but to the entire world.

Lieberman stated that Israel was ready for peace talks with Palestinians - and other countries in the region - and insisted that Israel did not have preconditions to such dialogue.

"We have our position, we don't have any preconditions," he said, emphasizing that both Israelis and Palestinians have a right to their positions. "Every side will try to convince the other side," he said. (ANI)