DM Liberman lands in Judea and Samaria Division
DM Liberman lands in Judea and Samaria DivisionAriel Hermoni, Ministry of Defens

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday visited the Judea and Samaria Division and addressed the relative calm on the Gaza border since the deadly riots along the border last Monday.

"The general situation is not to be taken for granted. Every day we succeed here against attacks and terrorism, and there have great successes for all the security forces working together. All of them are partners: the army, the General Security Service and the police. We really see our entire system working as one unit to achieve results and in which we can trust," Liberman said.

He said that the current period is naturally a tense one. "We have begun the month of Ramadan and we see what is happening inside the [Palestinian] Authority. Unfortunately I actually see two conflicting phenomena. On the one hand, we have now gone through all the economic parameters and we see in Judea and Samaria a steady improvement from year to year and from month to month. On the other hand, we see the Gaza Strip decline. The same parameters show a constant decline, so I suggest that the residents of Gaza ask themselves: why there is constant improvement in Judea and Samaria and why there is a deterioration in the Gaza Strip. The answer is the Hamas leadership."

Liberman further noted noted that despite the relative calm, the PA continues to produce tension through other means ."I note with great severity the entire attempt to deteriorate the situation on the diplomatic front and the appeal to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. They are going to international institutions and making requests to be accepted by all kinds of international organizations, in violation of all understandings and agreements with Israel and the US, [showing that relations] iare deteriorating. [They] even made the decision to transfer payments directly from PA institutions to terrorists and to the families of the terrorists, and that is unacceptable."

"So, on the one hand, what we depend on in Israel is what we do, and everyone who goes through the economic data will understand how much better the situation in Judea and Samaria is than anywhere else in the world where there are Palestinians. On the other hand, the opposite trend, which depends on the Palestinian side, shows [deliberate deterioration] in the international arena. In the end, it will accomplish nothing good for the Palestinians. What I really suggest is that they focus on cooperation and an attempt to continue to improve the civilian reality in Judea and Samaria."