AOI, Dassault sign new partnership to advance defense industrial cooperation    Egypt unveils ambitious strategy to boost D-8 intra-trade to $500bn by 2030    Egypt discusses rehabilitating Iraqi factories, supplying defence equipment at EDEX 2025    Private Egyptian firm Tornex target drones and logistics UAVs at EDEX 2025    Egypt's Abdelatty urges deployment of international stabilisation force in Gaza during Berlin talks    Egypt begins training Palestinian police as pressure mounts to accelerate Gaza reconstruction    Egypt opens COP24 Mediterranean, urges faster transition to sustainable blue economy    Egypt's Health Minister leads high-level meeting to safeguard medicine, medical supply chains    Egypt, Saudi nuclear authorities sign MoU to boost cooperation on nuclear safety    Egypt launches digital guide for old tenant law tenants applying for alternative housing    Egyptian pound vs. dollar in Tuesday early trade    Egypt's FM touts investment reforms to German firms at Berlin business forum    US Embassy marks 70th anniversary of American Center Cairo    Giza master plan targets major hotel expansion to match Grand Egyptian Museum launch    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    China invites Egypt to join African duty-free export scheme    Egypt calls for stronger Africa-Europe partnership at Luanda summit    Egypt begins 2nd round of parliamentary elections with 34.6m eligible voters    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt scraps parliamentary election results in 19 districts over violations    Egypt extends Ramses II Tokyo Exhibition as it draws 350k visitors to date    Egypt signs host agreement for Barcelona Convention COP24 in December    Al-Sisi urges probe into election events, says vote could be cancelled if necessary    Filmmakers, experts to discuss teen mental health at Cairo festival panel    Cairo International Film Festival to premiere 'Malaga Alley,' honour Khaled El Nabawy    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches National Strategy for Rare Diseases at PHDC'25    Egypt adds trachoma elimination to health success track record: WHO    Grand Egyptian Museum welcomes over 12,000 visitors on seventh day    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Israel's Lieberman won't quit on apology to Turkey
The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that he would not withdraw from the coalition if it chose to apologize to Turkey
Reuters Published in Ahram Online on 24 - 07 - 2011

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday he would not quit the coalition government if it decides to apologise to Turkey for the killing of pro-Palestinian Turks on board an activist ship last year.
Lieberman, the most powerful ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had opposed meeting Ankara's demand that Israel atone for the killing of nine Turks when Israeli troops stormed the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara.
But after Israeli officials said Netanyahu may apologise, Lieberman denied having any plan to quit in protest.
"Whether or not there is agreement in the government about this matter, this government is strong," he told reporters. "No one is looking for excuses and reasons to leave the government."
Israel's debate over apologising to Turkey has been spurred by its expectation that an imminent U.N. report on the high seas interception will largely vindicate its Gaza blockade strategy.
Turkey, which like Israel had a delegate on the U.N. inquiry panel led by former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, has yet to sign the report and Netanyahu envoys have been in bilateral talks with Ankara in the hope of bridging the gaps.
Israeli officials voiced dismay after Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday reiterated demands that, in addition to saying sorry, Israel also compensate Mavi Marmara survivors and end a blockade on Gaza that he insists is illegal.
"He's not exactly making it easy for us to apologise," said one Netanyahu aide.
Israel says the blockade prevents arms reaching Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists, who are hostile to the Jewish state.
Netanyahu has so far offered only expressions of "regret" at the aid flotilla incident and proposed setting up a fund for those bereaved or injured. At the time, his advisers said a formal apology and damages payments would be tantamount to Israel admitting culpability for actions it deems self-defence.
But officials say internal legal reviews have since found that placating the Turks so that they endorse the Palmer report, even at the cost of an apology, would significantly shore up Israel against pro-Palestinian lawsuits in international courts.
"Alongside preserving the State of Israel's honour and asserting its righteousness, we have a supreme interest in protecting officers, commanders and combatants from possible prosecution aboard," Defence Minister Ehud Barak told Israel's Army Radio, when asked about the Mavi Marmara deliberations.
"We have to weigh our steps in the context of this reality."
Turkey withdrew its ambassador to Israel after the incident in May 2010, suspended military cooperation, and closed its airspace to Israeli military aircraft.
Israel says its marines acted in self-defence after an initial boarding party was attacked.

Clic here to read the story from its source.