In his meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Clinton that PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) is not genuinely interested in resuming a diplomatic process with Israel. The foreign minister explained his position regarding the Goldstone Report, that he advised the prime minister to refuse to enter into diplomatic talks with the PA for as long as the incitement surrounding allegations of “war crimes” against IDF soldiers relating to Operation Cast Lead continues.

Clinton was expected to give a boost to Abu Mazen’s waning popularity during her visit, arriving on motzei shabbos, but the PA leader is not finding the unconditional support he seeks for his list of preconditions for resuming talks with Israel.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has indicated a willingness for an immediate resumption of talks, explaining this must be done however without any preconditions.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)