Israeli FM in hot water for U.N. address

JERUSALEM, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman came under fire Wednesday for saying he didn't think a permanent peace with Palestinians is currently possible.

In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, Lieberman said he believes Israel must reach an interim agreement with the Palestinians, but that peace would only be possible after a number of decades, Israeli media reports said. The foreign minister said the ultimate agreement would require population and territorial exchanges.

A statement released by Israeli Binyamin Netanyahu's office said, "Lieberman's address was not coordinated with the prime minister," stressing Netanyahu is the one handling the negotiations. All issues concerning a peace agreement "will be discussed and decided only at the negotiating table, and nowhere else," the statement said.

Lieberman's remarks prompted calls for his resignation or firing.

"If Lieberman can't keep his personal opinions to himself, he ought to resign from the Cabinet," Haaretz quoted Seymour Reich, a former president of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations as saying.

Israeli Minster for Minority Affairs Avishay Braverman called on Netanyahu to fire Lieberman.

"Lieberman undermined the prime minister and Netanyahu should fire him for it," The Jerusalem Post quoted Braverman as saying.

Welfare Minister Itzhak Herzog accused Lieberman of "shaming his country," but hinted peace talks would lead to an internal political shakeup ,Ynetnews.com said.

"A foreign minister that shames his country before many is a genuine Israeli technique. Direct talks will result in a dramatic shift on the political map and in the coalition makeup. Hopefully, this will happen as soon as possible," the site quoted him as saying.