Israeli hardliner commits to peace

ISRAEL’S foreign minister, whose anti-Arab statements have frayed diplomatic nerves, committed himself yesterday to Mideast peace, but did not endorse the idea of a Palestinian state as sought by the United States and the European Union.

As he kicked off a European tour in Rome, hardline politician Avigdor Lieberman skirted around the issue of a Palestinian state, putting him on a possible collision course with US and EU efforts to solve the conflict.

“This government’s goal is not to produce slogans or make pompous declarations, but to reach concrete results,” he said when asked if he would endorse a Palestinian state.