Israel Foreign Minister Ends Political Alliance with Prime Minister

[bemildred]

TEL AVIV—Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman ended his political alliance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, accusing the premier of responding weakly to a surge of rocket fire by Palestinian militants into southern Israel.

Despite his criticism of the Israeli premier, Mr. Lieberman said that his rightwing nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party would remain in the governing coalition and that he and the party's other ministers would remain in the cabinet.

Mr. Lieberman and Mr. Netanyahu have been at odds over how Israel should respond to the escalation of rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip since the kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teenager last week.

Six Jewish settlers described as "extremists" by the Israel's domestic intelligence service Shin Bet were arrested Sunday on suspicion of killing 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, apparently to avenge the abduction and killing of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. An examination of the Mr. Khdeir's remains by Israeli forensics experts indicate the boy was burned to death.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/israel-foreign-minister-ends-political-alliance-with-prime-minister-1404735837

[Jefferson23]

1. I read yesterday, think it was Al Monitor, a lot of meetings resulted in no decision on how to

proceed. From what I understand Bibi seems to know that anything that would be like another
OCL would be disastrous for Israel. Hamas on the other hand seems to be translating this info
and preparing for the worst.

Of course it is the collateral damage to the innocent that is the scariest thing to think about.

[bemildred]

2. Sometimes there is no good answer, and these guys aren't too sharp to start with.

It is good to know there is some hesitation, at least.