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MK Avigdor Lieberman. (Tomer Neuberg / Jini)
Last update - 15:36 13/01/2008
Lieberman to tell PM he may quit over nature of negotiations with PA
By Mazal Mualem
Tags: Avigdor Lieberman 

Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) is set to meet Monday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, at Olmert's request. Lieberman will reportedly demand clarifications from Olmert regarding negotiations over the core issues with the Palestinians, to which he is opposed and which he considers to be the red line precipitating his resignation from the cabinet. Senior members of Yisrael Beiteinu have said recently that it seems increasingly likely Lieberman is preparing to resign.

After Monday's meeting, Lieberman is expected to call a gathering of the party secretariat to discuss Olmert's clarifications and continued membership in the cabinet.

Sources close to Lieberman have said over the past few days that Lieberman has been holding numerous consultations and appears poised to make a major decision.
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Lieberman's bureau said Sunday that until the meetings with both Olmert and the party secretariat are over, there is no room for guesswork.

Officials at Olmert's bureau said they see no reason for Lieberman to resign from the cabinet now, and that talks on the core issues are nothing new and that nothing has been concealed.

The prime minister wants to move ahead with a broad coalition toward a shelf agreement contingent on implementation of the road map, and Lieberman can impact the talks as they take place, the bureau said.

Senior Yisrael Beiteinu officials said Lieberman is preparing to resign before the final Winograd Committee report is published, because he is concerned that Defense Minister Ehud Barak will be setting the political agenda. Lieberman does not want to be dragged after Barak and Labor.

The sources also said that the reason Lieberman called the secretariat meeting for this week was the awareness that the Winograd report will dominate next week's political agenda and Lieberman might lose the momentum he created after the Annapolis summit and George W. Bush's visit. Lieberman is said to prefer to be the one that breaks up the Olmert cabinet.

According to unnamed sources, such a move would allow Lieberman to approach elections more comfortably and rehabilitate his party, with current polls showing that he lost support after joining the Olmert government. Prior to that point, it seemed as if he could pose a significant challenge to the Likud and Benjamin Netanyahu as leader of the right.

Members of Yisrael Beiteinu are encouraging Lieberman to urge Olmert toward an agreed-on date for early elections. MK Yisrael Hasson reportedly told Lieberman as much, since a number of difficult political and security decisions are currently on Olmert's desk that the public should weigh in on. Therefore, early elections are the right thing.

Haaretz last week quoted Tourism Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch as saying that Olmert intends to move ahead in the peace process and prefers to have Barak and Labor in the coalition to further his political survival.

Sources close to Olmert said Lieberman would resign from the cabinet "because he wants to, not because he needs to."


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      1.   go lieberman go! this could get interesting... 09:12  |  eric 13/01/08
      2.   Leibermen 10:04  |  Avraham 13/01/08
      3.   THIS CROOK WILL NOT RESIGN, HE KNOWS 10:11  |  Robert 13/01/08
      4.   Quitting over talk... how stupid 10:43  |  Natallie Durson 13/01/08
      5.   Right-wing veto over peace incompatible with Annapolis 10:56  |  Ivar 13/01/08
      6.   #5 ivar the ignorant rants on and on 11:43  |  v hardman 13/01/08
      7.   #3 - please learn more before posting ! 11:58  |  redmike 13/01/08
      8.   #4 - he, like 97% of Israelis wants to bring down the government 12:00  |  redmike 13/01/08
      9.   #5 - there cannot be peace with Islam! 12:05  |  redmike 13/01/08
      10.   "Lieberman and the rats jump ship".! 12:20  |  Stephen. 13/01/08
      11.   Olmert Should Oust Lieberman 12:42  |  MB 13/01/08
      12.   good riddance, and please take our Lieberman with you 12:56  |  samos 13/01/08
      13.   General Durson, I`ll pay for the call from US, why 13:23  |  Marabu 13/01/08
      14.   to # 7 - redmike 14:15  |  Robert 13/01/08
      15.   Lieberman didn` tell this to President Bush 14:21  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
      16.   Lieberman already went to bed with the wh... 14:22  |  David 13/01/08
      17.   #2 Avraham, the truth is 14:26  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
      18.   #1 eric israel habeen ready for peace for 60 years IN VAIN 14:26  |  v hardman 13/01/08
      19.   The problem here is 14:33  |  Chris Linthwaite 13/01/08
      20.   Right move by Lieberman 14:40  |  Brod 13/01/08
      21.   eric in NM 14:44  |  Silvia 13/01/08
      22.   The Avraham 14:46  |  Ann 13/01/08
      23.   Natalie 14:48  |  Wakter 13/01/08
      24.   Don`t Want Peace 14:54  |  Abe 13/01/08
      25.   Abe #24 Antisemite Crap 15:54  |  Brod 13/01/08
      26.   Please Lieberman-Quit! Good riddance to you 15:56  |  Yossi Cronenberg 13/01/08
      27.   Good riddance!!! 16:13  |  Michael Steiner 13/01/08
      28.   #26, #27 Good Riddance 16:41  |  Brod 13/01/08
      29.   Shas need to go also and new elections called 17:38  |  Sam Weinstein 13/01/08
      30.   #17 17:48  |  Avraham 13/01/08
      31.   It`s a shrek 18:17  |  Dudka 13/01/08
      32.   SO QUIT ALREADY 19:03  |  ZADOK 13/01/08
      33.   #14 - I live full time in LA :-) 19:04  |  redmike 13/01/08
      34.   You won`t be missed 19:18  |  Chanalau, Tova 13/01/08
      35.   #14..redmike 19:48  |  Nemesis 13/01/08
      36.   Liberman, finally somone who will walk the talk 20:44  |  Jack 13/01/08
      37.   Pal Land 20:57  |  Russianize U 13/01/08
      38.   President Bush visit was historical 21:36  |  Mawloud Ould Daddah 13/01/08
      39.   Lieberman to tell PM he may quit over nature of negotiations with 22:20  |  Martin List, M.D. 13/01/08
      40.   Bye-bye 02:33  |  Jason_M 14/01/08
      41.   Lieberman and Shas 03:18  |  Lynn 14/01/08
      42.   Beitein and Shas have no place in this evil coalition. 06:11  |  Chaim 14/01/08
      43.   Can`t wait 13:21  |  jjvanka 14/01/08
      44.   Israel needs a new goverment..period 21:59  |  Avery 14/01/08
      45.   Finally, a positive note for Israel 07:16  |  Advocate4Liberty 15/01/08
      46.   # 18 you`re right, victor hardman 08:23  |  eric 15/01/08
      47.   # 21 to silvia in chicago 09:59  |  eric 15/01/08
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