Austrian minister: Lieberman ‘unbearable’
Defense Minister Darabos also says Israeli strike on Iran would lead to 'uncontrollable fire across the region'
Austria’s Defense Minister Norbert Darabos has launched an attack on Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, describing him as “unbearable” in an interview due to appear on Sunday.
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Darabos told the Sunday edition of Die Presse newspaper that Lieberman was “unbearable as a member of the Israeli government”, adding that he believed the threat of Israeli military strikes against Iran was “superfluous.”
An attack on Iranian nuclear installations would result in “a fire across the region, that no one would be able to control”, he said.
“It would be followed by a reflex of solidarity towards Iran, including on the part of Arab states usually critical” of Iran, he said.
Israel, widely considered the sole if undeclared nuclear power in the Middle East, has consistently warned a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat to the Jewish state, and has refused to rule out a pre-emptive strike in a bid to halt it.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman responded on Sunday to South Africa's decision to mark products that originate in the settlements and said: "Sadly South Africa has been adopting a pronounced anti-Israel policy over the last few years.
"I'm saddened by the fact that a country that suffered for years from racism is now adopting the same attitude towards Israel."
He noted that "it is no coincidence that the Durban conference which is the most anti-Israeli forum, is held in South Africa."
Attila Somfalvi contributed to the report
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