Avigdor Liberman: “In Israel, the religion and the state are inseparable.”
In the capital of Moldova, Avigdor Liberman, Vice-Premier of Israel and native of Chisinau came from Israel for a private visit. In the Jewish campus KEDEM, he met with activists of the local Jewish community who wanted news about their native country from first-hand sources. At the beginning, the honorable guest made a capacious and brilliant opening speech.
Avigdor Liberman: “In Israel, the religion and the state are inseparable.”
[Translated form Russian No. 4 2006 page 5 The Cradles of Life – Point of View]
In the capital of Moldova, Avigdor Liberman, Vice-Premier of Israel and native of Chisinau came from Israel for a private visit. In the Jewish campus KEDEM, he met with activists of the local Jewish community who wanted news about their native country from first-hand sources. At the beginning, the honorable guest made a capacious and brilliant opening speech.
After that he answered a lot of questions, and at last, he sat down
with a reporter of the newspaper “The Cradles of Life.”
Civilization Collision
Mr. Liberman thinks that people talk about the Arabic-Israeli conflict in a wrong way. Two weeks ago, the English premier Tony Blair declared that the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation is the focus of the Near-Eastern conflict. This is a total misunderstanding of the situation. Today there happens to be a collision of civilizations – between a free world and the extremist Moslem tendencies, which became dominant in Islam world. The explosions that happened in New York, London, Madrid, and Bali, the tragedy of Beslan, the reactions to the Pope’s speech, the German theater play, and the caricature of Mohammed where the prophet Mohammed is mentioned together with Moses and Christ – these have no relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In serene Netherlands few days ago, the results of the votes were published, and the party that participated only with the slogan, “No to Islam!” won 9 places in Parliament. The death sentence for Salman Rushdi for “Satanic verses” has not been canceled. No political or spiritual Islamic leaders were against this verdict, and similarly condemned the talibs who destroyed the monument of Buda from Afghanistan. Israel is in-between the collision of these two civilizations, and the Israeli-Arabic conflict is only its derivation. Perhaps, this is the error of Moses, who at that time brought the Jewish people not at the frontier of France or Italy, but at the Near East, where the neighbors are Arab.
The managers of “Hamas” declare that they never will recognize the Israeli State. The existence of this organization is necessary to create trouble – and making problems for the whole world… to blackmail and to trim.
Israel proved its preparedness for peace with unusual concessions, including giving Arabs territory that is much larger than Israel (square Sinaia, sector of Gaza, a part of Luda and Samara). And almost all the attacks, provocations, and other terrorist acts take place in the Gaza sector, where there is no Israeli soldiers or inhabitants.
The second aspect of the problem is the phenomenon of the end of the XX century and the beginning of the XXI century. Wherever nation mixing is, there are also conflicts without any relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Notice, please, what does happen in ex-Yugoslavia, and in Caucasus, Northern Ireland with its 600-year conflict of 600 between Catholics and Protestants. Canada, through a miracle, escaped conflict from the split from Quebec province.
In this world, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an international and religious conflict. The easiest and often approved model of its solution is to separate the nations, this means Cyprus. On the island until 1974, Turks and Greeks lived together, and there were always fights, terrors and conflicts. Stability came when the Turks concentrated on a part of the island and the Greeks on other part, and between them they established a democratic line of barbed wire and mines. But there had not been written any agreements of peace until now.
Only Jews
The plan of Avigdor Liberman from the beginning proposed the change of the districts into places where only Jews lived in order to avoid having to drive them away from their houses. This could allow Israel to be a more homogeneous state.
For example, Poland, where 93% are Poles, has an impetuous speed of development. You can also notice the boiling pot of Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Cosovo and Albania.
If, according to Bush’s roadmap, a uniform Palestinian state without any Jew could be created (at first the population will leave the territory, and then the territory will pass to the Palestinians), Israel will be a state with two nations including 23% Arabs. This type of construction will not resist through time control.
Nowadays, a new factor has appeared – Iran. When it actually has nuclear weapons, the threat will be not only to Israel but also to the entire free world. Ahmadinejad doesn’t hide his intentions. The irrational fanatics Ahmadinejad, Bin Laden and Sheikh Nasralla are not the persons to whom you can propose change. Bin Laden doesn’t want lands, money or power; he wants to make all people orthodox and send them to heaven. When people speak about them as not being dangerous, they must recall the prehistory to World War II, when the people spoke about Hitler. While they agreed he was mad, they also said that he only intimidated, and that he would calm down. We all know how this ended.
Presently instead of brown plague in the place of green plague, but with the same solution terminology. This plague must be destroyed, and all must be put on the right course. Every week, the president of Iran, a state-member of OON, speaks in public. He says that his main purpose is to destroy Israel. But OON does not say anything. Iran uses to its advantage all breaches and discrepancies between Europe, USA, OON, Russia, China and Germany. It is clear that Israel very soon could look to confront the Iranian problem on its own. There are no easy solutions for this.
England and France, on the eve of the last world war, gave up to Czechoslovakia in the hope of its own rescue, but peace did not come. Certain groups in Europe conduct themselves in the same way regarding Israel.
The only hope is to focus on Jewish communities in the world (including former USSR), and to have them unite with Israel. Every community knows that without Israel, it will acquire an absolutely different, less “prominent” status. Israel is a state of all Jews in the world. Now, the world’s Jews need to unite in this difficult minute.
Concerning interchange of captives, Mr. Liberman said that for one Israeli soldier, extremists required 1,400 of their soldiers.
According to Avigdor Liberman’s opinion, soldiers have nothing to lose, and it is necessary to focus the struggle on their officials, who have something to lose: power, money, and property.
Two of Israel’s highest-ranked officials paid for failure of Lebanese war: the commander of North military region and the brigade general resigned. In accordance with results of the special commission, not only soldiers will give an account, but political authorities as well.
TRUE LOVEFOR ORIGINS
I.J.: Mr. Vice-prime minister, some sources contend that Israel is a theocratic State, and others contend that it is secular. What is your point of view?
A.L.: In Israel, religion and State are not separate. And it is not a unique reputation of our country. Some states of Europe also observe the same idea – for example, Greece and Ireland.
At the same time, Israel is democratic state, where every man of the world can live in high life. Nevertheless, we respect our religion and historical past. I think that just so everything should remain.
IJ.: You are a part of the party that is in power of Israel, which was on the verge of collapse, and you have fundamentally strengthened it by your authority. How did your constituency react to this step: with understanding or disappointment? How will it will influence your political situation in the future?
A.L.: You know, very often politicians are confronted with a dilemma: what to prefer – State interests or the electoral advantages of their party or themselves. In most cases, politicians are oriented on popularity, on public opinion questioning, and on electoral consideration.
We had two options after the second Lebanese war: either to go with one more pre-term election that will change nothing, or to try to prepare our country for the new war. I think that we chose the unpopular but right decision. Today, what is important is not our rating or even the number of mandates we have on future elections. What matters most is the result of coming war. It is an exam for the political leader, as far as he is unable to let the crowd push himself around.
I.J.: Why is Israel losing to the Arabian world in Piar? Israel has no any television station broadcasting news there, yet has a well-deserved life in the country. Meanwhile, 2000 Arabic-language channels are broadcasting.
A.L.: Difference in budgets. World public opinion may not care for the Islam world, but be more interested in dollars and euros. We cannot compete with “Al Djazira” that broadcasts 24 hours a day all over the world. Quatar has no usual financial problems; its main problem is, what to do with all its money.
At the international anti-Semitic Conference in Berlin, there was a connection made between donations to west universities from countries possessing energy carriers, and the powerful flow of paid advertisement in newspapers with defined subject matter and splashes of anti-Jewish mood.
I.J.: Do you consider the construction of the “super-fence” around of the Promised Land to be effective?
A.L.: No walls or lines built in Majino, Mannegreim or Berlin have ever made anyone happy. I don’t believe in any fences. It is totally ludicrous and it is an attempt to run away from problems and to gratify the public opinion. There are billions of dollars invested, but ballistic rockets and Katyusha continue to fly. The work in raising these walls is moving along rapidly, with no result.
I.J.: Many people blame the OON with state inflation and with minimum profits. Do you think that this international body is capable?
A.L.: The role of the OON will increase much more. In the past, there were two super states. Today, the world has become multi-polar. And because of this, the roles of the OON, the Europe Union and China are essential. The world political square changes its configuration.
I.J.: While speaking with the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Moldova, Andrei Stratan, who was accompanied by a delegation in Israel, you spoke about your intention to help the “pre-historical native land.” What did you mean?
A.L.: I did not speak about the help we try to collaborate on. Mr. Stratan signed several important documents related to two taxations in order to facilitate the investment climate, and we try to encourage it. It might be a real natural collaboration.
I.J.:It is known that Mr. Liberman goes all out with maximum effort, with excellent results. Can you stand this rhythm of life? How many hours do you sleep a day?
A.L.: In Chisinau I sleep much more than I do in Israel.
I.J.:Will Israel continue to support the Jewish communities of the ex-USSR?
A.L.: The annual budget of Israel is 60 billion dollars. In Israel, debates take place that focus on budgets for the Jewish community of the Commonwealth Independent States. The general impression is that they will greatly increase. This activity will be led by the ex-ambassador of Israel in the Ukraine and Moldova, Naomi Benami.
Natalia Zorina
