Israeli FM: Don’t Stand Over Us With A Stopwatch

Israel’s foreign minister had tough words for President Barack Obama, although his name was not specifically mentioned.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday Israel would not yield to pressure for it to change its positions or give up its sovereignty.

“We haven’t intervened in others’ affairs, and we expect others not to stand over us with a stopwatch,” Mr. Lieberman said. “We don’t change our positions due to the circumstances.”

Israel, he said, has been in a deadlock with the Palestinians for 16 years, which requires a comprehensive and responsible diplomatic approach to deal with the situation.

“We don’t intend to sit back idly,” Mr. Lieberman said. “We will say out loud what we agree to and what we don’t agree to. Policy will be formulated responsibly and seriously, and this will take between one and two months.”

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com