Speaking to Israel National News, MK Zeev Elkin, chairman of the coalition said that Defense Minister Ehud Barak was the right man to accompany Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the United States next week, instead of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. "Netanyahu and Barak have had many successes together, militarily and diplomatically," he said. "Ehud Barak can contribute to the coalescence of Israeli policy and present our messages in conjunction with the Prime Minister," he added.

Elkin added that Netanyahu enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Lieberman, and that the fact that the Foreign Minister was not accompanying him to the U.S. was "symbolic of nothing."