Israel: Iran at heart of ME conflict

In an address to the UN General Assembly, Israel’s far-right foreign minister has accused Iran of inferring in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through “proxies.”

Disregarding rows over Israeli settlements, the repatriation of exiled Palestinians and other outstanding issues which have stalled several rounds of Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at resolving one of the region’s longest-running conflicts, Avigdor Lieberman said Iran was at the heart of the crisis.

“In searching for a durable agreement with the Palestinians, one which will deal with the true roots of the conflict and which will endure for many years, one must understand that first, the Iranian issue must be resolved,” Lieberman said on Tuesday.

However, the mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians calls for “a long-term intermediate agreement, something that could take a few decades,” he added.

Despite international calls, Israel refused to abandon or even halt its controversial settlement expansions ahead of the latest round of talks with Palestinian officials.

Iran has been a vocal critic of Israel, condemning Tel Aviv for the 2008-2009 blitz of Gaza, and the blockade of the tiny coastal sliver, as well as its attack on a Gaza-bound aid convoy.

As key Palestinian groups and factions pulled out of the US-brokered talks, Iranian officials said the talks were “fruitless.”

“Dozens of rounds of negotiations have been held for more than 30 years and dozens of plans have been put forward but they have all failed,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview with Al-Alam news channel earlier this month.

Many Palestinian groups say they have no faith in the talks, citing White House partiality in favor of the Israelis and arguing that Abbas, whose term ended on January 9, 2009, does not represent most Palestinians.

Another major issue hampering talks is the blockade of Gaza, which Tel Aviv has refused to lift even in the face of fierce international condemnation of an Israeli attack on the Turkish flagship of the Gaza-bound aid convoy that killed nine activists.

On Monday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas urged the Palestinian Authority (PA) to quit direct talks with Israel after Tel Aviv refused to extend a partial settlement freeze.

Last week, a report by The Guardian suggested Israel had agreed to extend its partial settlement freeze on condition that the US releases an American jailed for life on charges of spying for Tel Aviv.