Sunday, August 7, 2011

Lieberman calls for severing ties with PA

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday that Israel should cut all ties with the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

The Palestinian are planning 'unprecedented bloodshed' after their United Nations statehood bid in September, Lieberman said, demanding that top Israeli officials move to break ties with their PA counterparts.

"The more they speak about non-violent action the more they are preparing for bloodshed," Haaretz quoted Liberman as saying, despite a clear statement from PA security services spokesman Adnan Dmairi on Sunday which called for any September protests to be controlled and non-violent.

The foreign minister said that the West Bank government can't get "security coordination [with Israel] and also try IDF soldiers at the Hague."

Lieberman is a controversial figure in Israeli politics, having proposed a variety of legislation targeting the Palestinian population of Israel, such as a proposed loyalty oath.

Talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been on hold since last September, grinding to a halt shortly after their relaunch earlier the same month over the issue of settlement construction.

Israel has declined to renew a partial settlement freeze that expired shortly after the direct talks began, and the Palestinians have said they will not negotiate while Israel builds on occupied land they want for a future state.

With talks on ice, they have instead pushed forward with the plan to seek UN membership for a Palestinian state this September.

Maan News Agency

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