Moldovan-born politician on conflict settlement: "Separating the two sides is best solution"

Avigdor Lieberman, originally from Moldova, is now the deputy prime minister of Israel

TEL AVIV (Tiraspol Times) - Israel's new deputy prime minister, Avigdor Lieberman, looks to his homeland for ideas on how to best solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On Sunday, the Moldovan-born politician told Israel's Army Radio there was no hope for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, so separating the two peoples was the best solution.

The Jewish Lieberman, born in Moldova, is familiar with the frozen conflict over Pridnestrovie, an unrecognized country also known as Transnistria or Transdniester, which is sought by Moldova despite never having been part of an independent Moldova at any time in history. Drawing on parallels from the Moldova-Pridnestrovie conflict, Lieberman acknowledges that history and ethnic majorities must take preferences over politically imposed solutions in conflict settlements,

" - The answer is exchanges of land and populations," said Lieberman, who lives in a West Bank settlement, adding that lasting peace is possible when the two sides agree to live side by side, as good neighbors.

Lieberman is the newest member of Israel's cabinet. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert brought Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party's 11 seats into the government last week to shore up a shaky coalition. He is immensely popular among Israel's 1 million immigrants from the remnants of the Soviet Union, and his views resonate with voters who are frustrated by more than six years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.

A spokesman for Tiraspol's large Jewish community agrees:
" - Good fences make good neighbors. That is true in Israel, and it is true on the Dniester. We can live in peace with Moldova, but Moldova must respect the right of the people of Pridnestrovie to determine its own future, free from outside interference."

Strong Jewish traditions

Tiraspol, the capital of Pridnestrovie, is a city with strong Jewish roots. At the turn of the last century, Tiraspol had one of the largest percentages of Jews in all of Europe. In 1897, Jews made up 27.2% of the city's population, a number which kept rising throughout the years. According to a census in 1926, 29.1% of Tiraspol's population was Jewish, with the two best private schools being Jewish - one for boys, and another for girls.

Other parts of Pridnestrovie had even larger Jewish communities. In one northern part of the country, Jews made up between 66% to 69% of the total population prior to World War II and the onset of a Romanian-led extermination campaign. In World War II, Moldova and Romania, supported by Nazi Germany, crossed the Dniester river and entered Pridnestrovie, renamed it Transnistria, and began killing the large local Jewish population. During the Nazi-supported occupation, when Tiraspol was under Romanian administration, almost all its Jewish population perished.

In Rybnitsa, on the interment place of 500 Jews which were killed by Romanian fascists in 1941-1942, a memorial sign was put up on Monday, 6 November. The representatives of Jewish organizations of Rybnitsa, Tiraspol, Chisinau and Israel participated in the ceremony.

Before the Moldovan and Romanian WWII invasion, Pridnestovie had never at any time in history been part of Moldova, Romania or a Greater Romania. Its population has always been majority Slav, with a large minority of Jews and Moldovans. At no time in history have Moldovans or Romanians ever been a majority on this side of the Dniester.

On 17 September the voters of Pridnestrovie went to the polls in a refendum which affirming their wish for independence. More than 94% rejected unification with Moldova in the poll which counted with a turnout of nearly 80%. The referendum was declared free and fair by 130 international observers, but was not recognized by the West or by international organizations, and is not binding on Moldova.

See also:
» Jewish communities support Pridnestrovie's independence