Israel’s hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has sought to reassure people today that hawkishness will not be going out of fashion, as he attacked those expressing hope for a peace deal in the near term and insisted there was absolutely “no chance” of that happening.

Avigdor Lieberman

“Anyone who says that within the next few years an agreement can be reached ending the conflict simply doesn’t understand the situation and spreads delusions,” Lieberman declared.

Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu Party has been firmly against the peace process for years, insisting that peace is impossible with the Palestinians and that security and stability could be attained while continuing a perpetual but low level conflict with the Palestinians.

The platform won Yisrael Beiteinu a significant role in Israel’s coalition government, and Lieberman says he will make it clear in talks with US envoy George Mitchell that he doesn’t believe in a comprehensive peace deal. His advice to Israelis is to “learn to live with it.”