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Lieberman, Eliezer quarrel over ties with Turkey
Haaretz argued that the damage that is being caused to Netanyahu is not political in the party or coalition sense. “His coalition is more stable than ever and will remain so for the foreseeable future. The problem is the loss of respect for the prime minister, which could trickle down from the media, to the politicians and the public, and then spill over, causing a possible political backlash,” it said, recalling that that was the experience of his predecessor in office, Ehud Olmert.
“First because of the Second Lebanon War, then because of the police investigations against him, until one fine morning someone in the coalition decided to bring him down. That someone was Ehud Barak,” the article said.
Defense Minister Barak last weekend became the first Israeli official to visit Turkey since a diplomatic feud that erupted earlier this month when Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, summoned Turkish Ambassador Oğuz Çelikkol to complain about a TV show. The ambassador, who was refused a handshake, was forced to sit on a low sofa while Ayalon explained to local TV stations that the humiliation was intentional. Outraged, Turkey threatened to recall the ambassador, forcing Ayalon to apologize. The quarrel was the latest in a series of disputes between the two allies.
The quarrel between Lieberman and Ben-Eliezer took place on Monday at the Israeli ambassador’s residence in Germany following a joint press conference between Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Haaretz said:
Ben-Eliezer: “The Foreign Ministry needs to look for unifying, not divisive elements. You are breaking the mold, the policy of the ministry as it was built up over decades. If you weren’t my friend, I would make shawarma out of you.”
Lieberman: “You are stuck in the traditional Jewish approach, always wanting to please the lord and master.”
Ben-Eliezer: “Anti-Israeli television series are broadcast every other day in Egypt and Jordan. Why don’t you get angry with them?”
Lieberman: “The difference is that the Egyptians and the Jordanians do not say that [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad is their best friend, and they do not attack Israel’s president and prime minister day and night, like Turkey’s prime minister does. It won’t be long before you Mapainiks [members of the party that was the forerunner of Labor] are declared a rare species. You will be placed in the petting zoo in Bnei Ayish [a Negev community where a child was recently murdered], and even that will be too big for you.”
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