Israel FM says ‘impossible’ to reach an agreement with PA president

Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today that it impossible to reach an agreement with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Anadolu reported.

“Security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority is a common interest, but it is not possible to reach a political settlement with Abu Mazen,” Lieberman said in reference to Abbas.

His comments reiterate those of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who said yesterday that he sees no reason to meet with Abbas, despite a number of high-level contacts between Israel’s new government and the PA.

“I don’t see any logic in meeting someone who is suing IDF soldiers at The Hague and accusing them of war crimes, and at the same time paying salaries to terrorists,” Bennett said.

With regard to the besieged Gaza Strip, Lieberman said it needs “a comprehensive treatment and a complex solution formulated by a broad national agreement”, adding that “this will not happen next year, and perhaps not the year after”.

“We have no interest in an escalation, but it is impossible to accept the previous government’s formula: calm at all costs,” Lieberman added.

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