(Communicated by the Foreign Minister's Bureau)
As part of the Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic initiatives that are accompanying Operation Protective Edge, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (July 15, 2014) visited Ashdod together with Italian FM Federica Mogherini. He also met with German FM Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Jerusalem, and spoke on the phone with Secretary of State John Kerry and Greek FM Evangelos Venizelos.
Italian FM Federica Mogherini with Ashdod Mayor Yehiel Lasry next to a house struck by a rocket, 15 July 2014
Copyright: Shlomi Amsalem
Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini: ''The most important thing right now is a ceasefire. This proposal coming from Egypt has been courageously welcomed by Israel. I hope it will find a positive response from the Gaza Strip and that rocket fire on Israel will end."
FM Liberman told his counterparts: "We don't want to rule the Gaza Strip and we aren't seeking war, but we must ensure the security of Israeli citizens, and therefore we must cause the heads of Hamas in Gaza to either flee, be arrested, or be eliminated."
He further told them that the world must give Israel full support, because, just as no one would consent to missiles falling on Washington, Berlin, Rome or Athens, so we cannot have missiles falling on Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Sderot or any other city, and we will not accept a situation in which six million people have to run to shelters whenever Hamas decides to shoot at Israel.
FM Liberman told them that Israel withdrew from Gaza to the ’67 lines - to the last millimeter; every last settler and every last settlement was removed, just as the international community is constantly demanding of us. Exactly for that reason, there must be international support for aggressive action against Hamas. We must take advantage of the opportune diplomatic situation in the Middle East and destroy the Hamas regime."
On Wednesday, July 16, Foreign Minister Liberman accompanied Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende on a visit to Ashkelon. At the Barzilai Medical Center they visited Liran Levy, a teenager wounded last week by a rocket. FM Liberman said that the children of Israel deserve to enjoy their summer vacation like all children of the world, and we must do everything we can to achieve this.
During the visit to Ashkelon there was a Code Red rocket warning, and the ministers entered the protected area, from where they heard a rocket explode nearby.
FM Liberman and Norwegian FM Brende during a rocket attack in Ashkelon Copyright: MFA