Netanyahu called on to denounce Lieberman statements

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina has said that the repeated derogatory remarks made by Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, about Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas cannot be accepted any longer. Abu Rudeina called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to let the world know where he stands on his Foreign Minister’s comments, and if he will denounce them. Lieberman has said that the Oslo Accord is a failed political step and Mahmoud Abbas has lost public confidence and his downfall is just a matter of time.

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“The people of Palestine choose their leadership,” said Abu Rudeina, “not Lieberman or his cronies.” The Israeli minister’s statements, he added, suggest a defeated person with whom the world will not do business.

On the anniversary of the Oslo agreement this week, Lieberman called for the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians to be reconsidered. He noted that the Israeli government made a mistake when it transferred money to the Palestinian Authority due to the perilous state of the economy. “The PA will only hand it over to prisoners,” he mocked.

When asked about relations between Israel and the United States, Lieberman stressed the need to maintain a strong relationship. Any differences, he said, should be discussed behind closed doors.