Israeli Minister claims peace talks could lead to Government's collapse

Friday October 12, 2007 10:58 by John Smith - IMEMC & agencies

The Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Avigdor Lieberman, on Thursday told Quartet Envoy Tony Blair that the upcoming Middle East Peace Conference could lead to the collapse of Israel's coalition government, media sources have reported.

Israeli Minister Avigdor Lieberman

In a meeting in Jerusalem, Lieberman told Blair that any attempt to solve crucial issues such as the future status of Jerusalem, the future borders of a Palestinian state and the issue of Palestinian refugees, could cause a schism that the Israeli government would not recover from.

In related news, the Israeli daily Haaretz on Wednesday reported grave misgivings on the part of Israeli Military Intelligence regarding the likelihood of the peace summit to achieve any lasting results, arguing that the Palestinian Authority is not in a position to assume control of West Bank security.

Elsewhere, Ahmed Qureia, Chief Palestinian negotiator, on Thursday warned of the possible consequences of failure in the upcoming conference, arguing that "if the talks fail, we can expect a third and much more severe Intifada."

The Summit, due to be held in Annapolis, is scheduled for late November.

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