Lieberman to Meet Kerry, Lavrov in Rome

Local Editor

"Israeli" Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman left "Israel" on Thursday for Rome to meet his US and Russian counterparts amid deadlock talks with the Palestinian Authority.

"The minister will meet John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov," his spokesman said, as "Israel" and the Palestinians engage in a war of words on the stalled US-brokered negotiations.

Hours earlier, "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas to recognize "Israel" as a Zionist entity and to "abandon the fantasy" of flooding "Israel" with returning Palestinian refugees.

His remarks sparked a furious reaction from the Palestinians, who denounced his demand and said it had effectively put the final nail in the coffin of the talks.
Before leaving for Italy, Lieberman again accused the Palestinians of undermining the negotiations.

However, speaking on public radio, he also underlined "the importance of continuing the talks and managing the conflict, even if it cannot be resolved".
Asked about the tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Lieberman stressed
"Israel's" neutral stance.

"We don't respond to all conflicts, especially if nobody has asked for our advice. Iran, the Palestinians, the situation in Syria, Hizbullah - these are our priorities," he replied.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team