The Right will not bring down Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government, and Israel Beiteinu will not leave the coalition in the face of the anticipated six-month moratorium on new construction in the West Bank, Foreign Minister and Israel Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday.
Speaking with Israel Radio from Abuja, Nigeria, where he is currently visiting as part of an African tour, Lieberman rejected the notion that he is not involved in the talks with the American administration, saying he is updated on all the details and is meeting with US special Middle East envoy George Mitchell next week.
The foreign minister stressed that Israel has not, and will not, discuss any form of construction limitations in Jerusalem, adding that Israel should demand a reconfirmation of the understanding reached with the Bush administration regarding building in the West Bank.
Lieberman also wants the Foreign Ministry to focus on areas it has long given a low priority, and last Wednesday embarked on a nine-day, five-country tour of Africa. "Israel has neglected the [developing world]," he told Israel Radio. "People in Africa wonder where we have been for the past 40 years."
Prior to taking off, Lieberman had said the visit was part of his plan to open "new directions" for Israeli diplomacy.
"Israel has been absent from entire regions of the world for many years, and during my visit to South America I felt the great importance that the host countries attributed to these visits, as well as the visit's significant contribution to bilateral relations," he said in a statement.
Likewise, he said, the visit to Africa would improve Israel's standing in the international forums in which African nations have a significant presence.
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