“Due to the recent diplomatic incidents, including the humiliation of the Turkish ambassador by Ayalon and Lieberman’s threats against Syria, I have decided to hand in my diplomatic passport to the Foreign Ministry,” Alon Liel told Ynetnews, an English-language Israeli news portal, on Thursday. Liel is a former director-general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and also served in the 1980s as chargé d’affaires at the Israeli Embassy in Ankara.
Ynetnews noted that Liel is permitted to use a diplomatic passport for life due to his status as former Foreign Ministry director-general and is currently serving as chairman of the Israel-Syria Peace Society.
“All of these provocations against our [Arab] neighbors -- and even against our allies -- are unacceptable. I was taught that one of Israel’s goals is to integrate into the region, not promote an aggressive policy,” Liel said.
Earlier Thursday, Lieberman warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that in the event of war with Israel, “not only will you lose the war, you and your family will no longer be in power.”
