LIEBERMAN QUITS NETANYAHU'S COALITION GOVERNMENT

The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. (Photo: PIC)

Al-Quds, 16 Rajab 1436/5 Mei 2015 (MINA) – The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced Monday that he will be quitting his post as foreign minister, and that his right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party will not be part of the next government.

“We have reached the clear and unequivocal conclusion that it would not be right from our perspective to join the present coalition,” Haaretz Hebrew newspaper quoted Lieberman as saying.

During the Israeli elections held on March, Lieberman’s extremist anti-Palestinian party won only six seats, The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Lieberman’s announcement came just two days before a deadline for Netanyahu to present his new government, which he had hoped to win a majority of 67 instead of 61 of the parliament’s 120 seats.

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Netanyahu’s Likud party is due to form its fourth government after winning the March 17 election with 30 parliamentary seats.

Lieberman, who will step down as foreign minister, said his departure was related to a dispute over “principles”. (T/P011/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)