Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor LibermanFlash 90

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman announced in a briefing to reporters Monday that he has decided to dismiss a senior member of the foreign ministry, after it was discovered the source was behind information leaks.

"There have been briefings for three days by an anonymous source who is a senior official in the foreign ministry who was saying 'it's impossible to stop the boycott and the political echelons don't take it seriously,' and I'm happy to say the first thing we did was to downsize the senior official," reported Liberman.

Liberman quipped "there are people who are ready to work hard, and there are people who are experts in leaks and incorrect facts, and they shouldn't be part of the foreign ministry."

The talk of boycotts comes as US Secretary of State John Kerry threatened Israel with international boycotts should peace talks fail this Saturday, less than a month after reports revealed Kerry himself is orchestrating the European boycotts.

According to Liberman, "in the foreign ministry there's a clear and precise plan as to how we respond, there's full coordination between the foreign ministry and the prime minister's office on strategies regarding the boycott [threats]."

Liberman kept his "clear and precise plan" somewhat cloudy vague. however, saying simply that "we aren't neglecting our work and there's no need to get panicked; in another month our approach will be clear to everyone."

In terms of boycotts and international opposition, Liberman remarked that the phenomenon was not new for the state of Israel and the Jewish people, who have been dealing with such facts of life "throughout history; the first documentation was over 100 years ago when the Arab boycott and French embargo started."

In contrast to the rhetorical calls for boycotts, the foreign minister noted that Israeli exports to the European Union (EU) in 2012 rose 8%, emphasizing that "the state of Israel is dealing with all the pressures and boycotts on all levels."

Indeed, recent analytical research based on a composite of factors include military and economic capabilities found Israel is the tenth most powerful nation in the world.