Speaking at a joint press-conference with Norwegian FM Jonas Gahr Store, FM Lieberman took the long view on Israeli gestures to the Palestinians and concluded that they have yielded little fruit and that it was time for the Palestinians to make some gestures to Israel.

"Since this administration came into office, we have made endless gestures. We have given the Palestinians the option of coming to direct negotiations. First, of course was the prime minister’s speech, the Bar-Ilan speech, during which, for the first time, he recognized the two-state solution. Of course, I can also mention the matter of the checkpoints - we have succeed in dramatically reducing the number of checkpoints - and everything called access and movement no longer exists now. Movement through Judea and Samaria is free.

"We have given Fatah the possibility of holding the conference in optimal conditions in Bethlehem. We have undertaken a moratorium, i.e., we have frozen the building in settlements in Judea and Samaria. If we look today, the cooperation with Tony Blair and General Dayton has brought results. I would just like to remind you that economic growth in Judea and Samaria is 8%.

"So, from our standpoint, we’ve finished our entire arsenal of gestures - there will be no more gestures. There is simply no room to talk about opening Orient House, freezing the construction in Jerusalem or any additional gestures. Now is the time for a gesture from the Palestinians. We have exhausted our entire arsenal of gestures. We have said from the first moment that this administration took office that we are prepared to open direct negotiations without preconditions. But each time they try to make new stipulations for the negotiations, which did not happen with any previous administration. I don’t remember these stipulations with the Olmert administration, with the Sharon administration or with the Barak administration.

"When we see that the Palestinians are inciting against Israel in every possible international forum, calling for a boycott of Israeli products, filing lawsuits in the international court at the Hague, establishing a fund to persuade others to impose a boycott on Israeli products - I don’t see any reason for a gesture. To the contrary. So at the moment, we are waiting for a gesture from the Palestinian side."