Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has sent a message to all cabinet ministers, a clear message, to refrain from releasing any messages regarding Syria. Mr. Netanyahu informed Cabinet Secretary Tzvi Hauser to pass the directive along to all government ministries, seeking to take the Syrian issue off the front pages of the daily newspapers.

In the joint message released by the prime minister and foreign minister, they stated Jerusalem remains willing to move ahead on the diplomatic front with Syria, but without preconditions, and will continue to respond firmly to threats.

The situation was somewhat exacerbated earlier in the week when Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman commented during an address before a business conference at Bar Ilan University. His comments (http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=47153) were somewhat direct according to his opponents, and even some of his supporters, who question the merit of releasing abrasive or threatening statements.

The senior minister’s remarks were castigated by members of the political community who accuse him of speaking irresponsibly and bringing Israel to a direct confrontation with Damascus.

Lieberman’s remarks were a direct response to statements made against Israel is a Damascus press conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem and Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos (http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=47093), with the latter realizing the severity of the senior Syrian official’s remarks, seeking to play down the ferocity of his statements.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)