Israeli FM to tour countries that supported war on Gaza

The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is going on a tour to thank several countries that supported Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip, while work is underway to recruit support for the American draft bill regarding Gaza in the Security Council to thwart Arab diplomatic efforts working towards recruiting support for an Arab draft bill.

The Security Council member states are looking into three draft bills, an Arab bill submitted by Jordan, a bill submitted by the EU and an American bill.

Israel’s NRG said that Israel is pushing the American draft bill, which it believes is close to its positions and meets its requirements regarding the disarmament of the Gaza Strip. The website also pointed out that an Israeli delegation, led by Ambassador Ron Prosor, is working in the UN to gather international support for the American draft bill.

The website also added that all communication is taking place under the cover of isolation in order “not [to] give the Arabs the chance to influence the countries supporting Israel”. It also reported that the Lieberman mentioned that the countries that most supported Israel during the war on Gaza are Nigeria, Lithuania and Rwanda, in addition to its usual friends, the US and Australia.

NRG reported that in addition to the current communication in the region, Lieberman is visiting Lithuania and the United States in order to thank them for the aid they provided Israel during its war on Gaza.

The site said that it expects Lieberman to “thank the two countries for the support they showed Israel in the Security Council, which contributed to stopping the issuance of the resolution stopping the Israeli army’s operations in the Gaza Strip.”

It also quoted the EU ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen who said, during a meeting with the press in Jerusalem, that there is a relationship between the indirect talks in Cairo between the Palestinians and Israelis and between the efforts being made in New York, stressing that “the decision being made in New York will be a means of applying what is agreed upon in Cairo”.

Faaborg-Andersen also added that the donor countries supporting the Palestinians outlined a number of conditions to provide economic support to Gaza, which include “a long-term ceasefire, the return of the PA to Gaza, and creating a link between Gaza and the West Bank in order to revive the vision of the two-state solution.”

“Going back to the previous situation cannot happen; Israel’s security must be preserved, but this must be accompanied by achieving these goals. We are determined not to go back to the previous state of instability, but if the humanitarian situation in Gaza is not dealt with, the violence in Gaza will resume soon.”