Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s new foreign minister, made comments rejecting the Annapolis process last week.

“There is one document that obligates us—and that’s not the Annapolis conference, it has no validity,” said Lieberman as he took over the Foreign Ministry last Wednesday. “The Israeli government never ratified Annapolis, nor did the Knesset.”

The speech had officials at the Foreign Ministry and around the world scrambling. Heads of diplomatic missions contacted the Foreign Ministry seeking more information in order to answer the stream of questions on just what Lieberman meant.

Lieberman is very unpopular within the American administration, because he is viewed as being far right. Netanyahu’s whole government is viewed with suspicion, but the last thing Washington wants is to see Lieberman calling the shots.

Despite the outcry, Lieberman did state that he wanted to follow the earlier road map to peace, which does call for a two-state solution. However, his position clashes with U.S. President Barack Obama’s, who publicly reaffirmed his support of Annapolis on Monday. “Let me be clear,” he said, “the United States strongly supports the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. That is a goal shared by Palestinians, Israelis, and people of good will around the world. That is a goal that the parties agreed to in the road map and at Annapolis. And that is a goal that I will actively pursue as president.”

Watch for a widening gap between Israel and America. The two administrations have very different leaders, with very different views on how to solve problems in the Middle East. For more information, see our article “The U.S.-Israeli Collision Course Is Near.”