The Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) party will quit the coalition government if “core” talks are held between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, declared Yisrael Beiteinu party chairman Avigdor Lieberman Sunday.
Lieberman, who also serves as Strategic Affairs Minister, made the statement in response to a report that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave a green light to formation of a joint Israel-PA committee to tackle final status issues immediately following this week’s visit by U.S. President George W. Bush.
The committee, to be headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and PA chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala), will discuss permanent borders, the status of Jerusalem and the so-called “right of return” for millions of foreign Arabs to immigrate to Israel, with full benefits, as descendants of Arabs who fled during the 1948 war. Those who fled were instructed to do so by the attacking Arab nations, who promised they would be able to return and own Jewish property after the Jews were driven into the sea.