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JERUSALEM-Israel's new foreign minister angered Palestinians and raised the prospect of tension with Washington by saying on Wednesday Israel was not bound by a deal to start negotiations on establishing a Palestinian state.On his first day at the Foreign Ministry, right-winger Avigdor Lieberman said the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis declaration of 2007 "has no validity," confirming a shift in stance under new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lieberman, a Soviet immigrant denounced as a racist by many Arabs, did stress however that Israel was obliged to follow the course charted by a U.S.-backed peace "road map" of 2003. That obliges Palestinian leaders to curb attacks on Israel before any negotiations on the final shape of a statehood deal take place.Lieberman was effectively confirming that Netanyahu's new administration has withdrawn from its predecessors' commitment to negotiate on borders and issues like the status of Jerusalem before the two sides are satisfied road map pledges are met.That could push negotiations on statehood deep into the future. With Gaza in the hands of Hamas Islamists, many doubt Western-backed Palestinian leaders in the West Bank can meet Israeli security conditions for such talks any time soon.A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Lieberman's comments threatened regional stability and urged the United States to come out and make its opposition clear.President Barack Obama reaffirmed only last week his commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state.A spokesman with Obama in London said: "We are committed to working vigorously for this two-state solution."He added: "We look forward to working with the new Israeli government and understand that we will have frank discussions."Netanyahu's office said Obama telephoned to congratulate him on taking office and that they agreed to "cooperate closely" and to meet soon.
By Jeffrey Heller and Adam Entous
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