(Communicated by the Foreign Minister's Bureau)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman held a long telephone conversation with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Tuesday evening (15 December). They discussed both bilateral issues and the arrest order issued by a British court against former foreign minister and opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni.
Secretary Miliband told FM Liberman that he was concerned about the situation and that it was unacceptable to him as well as to other Cabinet members in the British government. He said that solutions must be found so that situations in which an arrest order is issued for a senior Israeli official will not be repeated. He stressed the importance of Israeli-British relations and of continuing the dialogue.
In addition to the arrest order, FM Liberman expressed disappointment at the British position regarding the Goldstone report, the British position on the Swedish proposal raised at the recent EU Foreign Ministers Council, and the the decision to mark imported goods produced in Judea and Samaria.
The two ministers agreed to continue their dialogue and to work towards remedying the situation.
FM Liberman said earlier, on a tour in Arad, that Britain’s recent behavior does not bode well. He referred to the arrest order that was issued by a British court against MK Tzipi Livni and said that Israel is not looking for confrontation or friction, but does expect a more balanced and objective, less one-sided stance from Britain. Issues between Israel and Britain should be dealt with in different tones. Israel will not be indifferent to arrest orders for senior Israeli officials.
FM Liberman added that Israel will instruct its envoys in European countries to work towards changing universal law concerning anti-terrorism. Terrorism, said Liberman, is the real threat to world peace in the 21st century and combating it is not like confronting regular armies. Democratic states must adjust to the new situation, vis-a-vis terrorists who use the advantages of a democratic society to destroy democracy in the world.