Yisrael Beiteinu, said party leader Avigdor Liberman, will not agree under any circumstances to another round of terrorist prisoner releases. If the government does go ahead and release more terrorists, Liberman will pull his party out of the government, most likely causing new elections.
“Yisrael Beiteinu will prefer to go to new elections than to see more Palestinian prisoners released, even in a ‘package deal’ in which Jonathan Pollard would be released as well,” Liberman said. “We cannot return to this kind of arrangement whereby we release terrorists to keep the talks with the Palestinians going, considering the moves they have made recently.” Liberman was referring to last week’s application by the Palestinian Authority for recognition as a member state in 15 UN agencies.
The PA, he said, wasn’t a real entity anyway. “Judea and Samaria are Fatahland, Gaza is Hamastan,” he said.
Liberman also criticized Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, who suggested that Israel sue PA chief Mahmoud Abbas for war crimes. “Sometimes it is better to act quietly than to make too much noise,” Liberman said.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Not shifting sands, its gators in the swamp.
Interesting shifting sands down in the swamp.
Not for a moment one may consort with the idea that the statements can be traded at face value. They are issued pending revisions to fit the moment later on.
As to the “peace process”. The peace industry will not allow such great business to fail. To big to fail…
My forecast? Netanyahu will cow somehow, sooner rather than later.
Are we being lulled into more sleep? Quite probably.
Iran: They are way out in front and Netanyahu will do nothing to stop them.
@ yamit82:
Falsies!!!!!!!!! Sorry.
honeybee Said:
Neither. THIS IS WHAT I LIKE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAI1p7hcwF0
@ yamit82:
I guess you’re very old or your eyes a going bad.
@ Mickey Oberman:
Lieberman has a big problem. BB allowed him 11 seats in the current coalition by running together in the last elections. He was also given a disproportionate # of ministers vis a vis the Likud. The majority of the Likud party and central committee do not want Lieberman and his party to join formally with the Likud. Lieberman who wants to be PM after BB has lost most of his parties electorate (Russian Immigrants) and had hoped to gain control over the Likud by being right of BB. But since the Likud don’t want him and Bennett has taken over the position of the Israeli ideological right Lieberman had to tack to the center to separate himself from Bennett. Didn’t work and with the mood of the country and the right being against compromises even for some agreement he is positioning himself again on the right and holds the key whether and for how long the current coalition will hang together.
Lieberman is not ideologue and certainly no right wing ideologue. He is an ambitious corrupt sleazy politician that will do anything and say anything he believes is to his benefit and advances his personal ambitions. This is not new for me it’s a long held opinion. That said I will support him if he brings the current government down.
honeybee Said:
Did I miss something???
Talks are basically over so this sounds political posturing to be the next head of the right wing. Why did he not say this before the first terrorist release. I know his potential charges were still on the table and he could not have gotten elected. Politicians are pretty transparent at times.
yamit82 Said:
ooooooh you watched, a purely academic exercise, no doubt.
Liberman at JPost Conference: I’d rather go to new elections than release Palestinian terrorists
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman says going back to deal to release Palestinian terrorists is “not an option.”
NEW YORK — Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Sunday he preferred new elections, rather than agreeing to the recently tabled “grand bargain” to continue the negotiations.
Liberman, speaking at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York, said Israel would not give into what he called “Palestinian blackmail.”
Related:
“I support negotiations,” Liberman said. “I think that the maintenance of relations between us and the Palestinians is very important. We are sincere and are ready for any kinds of discussions, but are not ready for blackmail.”
Liberman, who will meet later this week in Washington with US Secretary of State John Kerry, said that the developments of the last few days have left Israel with three options. The first, he said, was to return to the package presented last week whereby Israel would release the fourth batch of 26 Palestinian security prisoners, plus 400 more prisoners and restrain building beyond the Green Line. The US, as part of this deal, would release Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, and the Palestinians would continue negotiations and refrain from unilateral actions in international forums.
Liberman made it clear that the “ release of terrorists” as part of the package is “not an option.” He also dismissed the second option that some are now discussing: namely, forming a new coalition without Bayit Yehudi.
“We will prefer new elections,” he said.
Liberman, in conversation with Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Steve Linde, took Bayit Yehudi head Naftali Bennett to task for saying that Israel would take Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the International Criminal Court.
Liberman deemed this comment “unnecessary,” and said that “sometimes it is better to keep silent.”
Regarding Pollard, Liberman said this was an “American issue,” but that after spending nearly 30 years in jail he should be released on “humanitarian grounds” Liberman took the Palestinians and the world to task for ignoring the killing of 7,000 Palestinians in the Yarmouk refugee camp near Damascus, and for not taking the issue to the UN Security Council or the Arab League. He contrasted this “silence” and “avoiding reality” with the condemnation that comes with the building of “every house” in the settlements.
Liberman’s comments were interrupted by applause a number of times, and he responded by joking that he was talking to his “constituency in New York.” He said that Abbas’ top priority right now was not the negotiations or a comprehensive agreement, but rather the internal clash with the new generation of leaders in Fatah represented by Mohammed Dahlan.
Asked about the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement, Liberman said while Israel should not “neglect” it, it should also not “exaggerate” its significance either.
Liberman said that the movement’s biggest success was when the issue was being discussed in Israel. He said that while BDS activities should be “taken seriously,” Israel should “be cool and play it in the right way.” Israel’s position in the international arena is “very stable,” he said, adding that the EU, as well as key capitals in Europe, have made clear that they are against boycotts.
The Israeli media “was exploiting the issue for domestic purposes,” he said. “We are doing well and know how to deal with it.”
Regarding Iran, Liberman said that Israel was “carefully monitoring” and “following” the situation, “and are keeping all options on the table. And when I say all options are on the table, I mean all options are on the table.”
Watch the live broadcast here.
Liberman worries me.
He had been making lots of noise in the past and now he desires an about face? Diplomacy? It has not worked thus far.
He seems to be more interested now in playing politics rather than confronting Israel’s enemies.
Why can’t Israeli politicians for once work together for the common cause? Why must they always be at each others’ throats?
Perhaps a weekly published accounting of each politicians harmful negative offerings would calm their childishly spiteful rhetoric.
Liberman also criticized Naftali Bennett, head of the Jewish Home party, who suggested that Israel sue PA chief Mahmoud Abbas for war crimes. “Sometimes it is better to act quietly than to make too much noise,” Liberman said.
Like this? 🙂
http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Why-is-Foreign-Min-drafting-legal-opinions-about-transfer-of-Israeli-Arabs-as-part-of-peace-deal-346634
Looks like the romance with America and Lieberman is over for the moment and he is tacking again to the right. Elections might be closer than some might think.