Diplomat: I Can No Longer Represent Israel

Foreign Ministry earthquake: A veteran diplomat says he has resigned from his post because he had a hard time defending the policies of Israel's current government, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.

(TEL AVIV) - Veteran diplomat Ilan Baruch quits, says he can no longer represent government; Israel's foreign policy is 'wrong,' he says, adding that blaming global anti-occupation views on anti-Semitism is 'simplistic, artificial'.

Ilan Baruch says he quit because "Israel's foreign policy is wrong," pointing to the Palestinian issue.

Should this trend continue, he warned, Israel will turn into a pariah state and face growing de-legitimization.

Baruch told Israel TV Wednesday that Israel's standing was in danger because of its policies, which he said were "difficult to explain."

"I can no longer honestly represent this government," he said earlier. "As (Foreign Minister) Lieberman was elected by a large public in a legitimate manner, I cannot question him – but I don't have to serve him, and therefore I'm quitting."

"I have nothing against Lieberman the person," Baruch added. However, he said he had a problem with the diplomatic messages conveyed by the Jewish state at this time and its dismissal of former understandings pertaining to the Road Map and the Palestinians.

'Don't blame anti-Semitism'

Baruch sent a personal letter to all Foreign Ministry employees Tuesday to explain the motives for his decision.

"Identifying the objection expressed by global public opinion to the occupation policy as anti-Semitic is simplistic, provincial and artificial," he wrote. "Experience shows that this global trend won't change until we normalize our relations with the Palestinians."

A more than 30-year veteran, Baruch resigned a few years before the usual retirement age. His last overseas posting was ambassador to South Africa last year. He quit several months ago. The longtime diplomat lost an eye during the War of Attrition and joined the Foreign Service in 1974.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said it was unusual for a diplomat to criticize the government upon retirement. Officials at Lieberman's office declined to respond to Baruch's comments.

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BUTSeriously March 3, 2011 10:22 pm (Pacific time)

Typically, such Islamic sites don't like any counter. I will report it if you negate counter comments, which must be made by the public and not the editor.

Editor: I don't know where you are located, Israel or whatever; but we have this thing in the US called 'freedom of speech', it's really cool, you should check it out. The public does not decide who or what is published here, we do. There are no rules to the contrary. But I think your threatening nature is comical, thanks for that.

BUTSeriously March 3, 2011 7:21 pm (Pacific time)

Be not confused. There is only one way to represent Israel:
Restore the Balfour which was corrupted by Britain for 30 barrels of oil, cease calling a deathly 3-state as a 2-state,

Editor: You again? The Balfour Declaration was an abomination of policy,it represents the reneging of England on the word of a good man; Sir Lawrence, whose promise to liberate Arab lands was backed with all the sincerity of a treaty violated against the Native Americans. .

cease the grotesque premise of calling Muslims as Palestineans. Serial 2-state demands in the same tiuny land are non-confusing genocidal decrees against a small, 4000 year nation, candy-coated for the Pretend Pal syndrome:

Editor: This will be your last comment here, nobody else uses anything as lame as 'pretend pals' and you can get lost.

"IT WILL BE A HISTORIC COMPROMISE TIO GRANT TWO STATES IN PALESTINE - ONE FOR THE JEWS AND ONE FOR THE ARABS" - A cigar chomping Churchill who cared off 80% of a small land for the creation of Jordan, applying the heinous term, '2-STATE COMPROMISE'. Why!?

Editor: Again you don't make sense, learn the English language before you try leaving comments on news stories, you are not qualified.

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