Lieberman thanks Libya for Israeli's release

'Libyans pleasantly surprised us, acted responsibly,' says FM after landing in Israel with Rafael Hadad

Ynet|Last update: 08.09.10 , 17:54

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman thanked Libya Monday for releasing Rafael Hadad, an Israeli man who has been held in the country since March on espionage charges.

Lieberman and Hadad landed in Israel Monday afternoon and held a press conference at Ben-Gurion Airport.

Lieberman and Hadad at airport (Photo: Asi Cohen)

"We should be happy an Israeli citizen returned home safe and sound," said the foreign minister, who orchestrated a diplomatic agreement for Hadad's release. "I met him at the airport after five months, and he showed plenty of poise. I want to commend him for undergoing such a difficult ordeal so level-headedly."

Lieberman also spoke about Israel's part of the deal for Hadad's release, which Israeli officials say included allowing 20 prefabricated houses from a Libyan-sponsored ship to be delivered to Gaza in July, after the ship was diverted to Egypt.

"These are logical demands and we will honor them. Where the Palestinians are concerned, we will fulfil everything we committed ourselves to. Altogether, the Libyans pleasantly surprised us and acted responsibly," he said.

Meanwhile, Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi said that Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi's foundation signed agreed with Israel on the transfer of $50 million to Gaza, as part of the deal to secure Hadad's release.

The money will be handed over to UNWRA in order to build 1,250 homes in the Gaza Strip to replace homes destroyed during Operation Case Lead.

Hadad's blog: Anti-Lieberman

Hadad, for his part, only said that he would like to thank everyone who helped secure his release.

"I'm glad you came. It's nice to be received by so many people at the airport," he said at the press conference.

The recently released prisoner seemed grateful to Lieberman, despite having written a blog berating the foreign minister until just before his arrest. In one entry, he wrote that Lieberman's appointment to his post was "a catastrophe".

When confronted with Hadad's history, Lieberman's office said that "though the minister never read Mr. Hadad's blog, he was well-informed of his leftist views."

Hadad, who holds dual Israeli and Tunisian citizenship, traveled to Libya six months ago on behalf of an organization for the preservation of Jewish heritage sites in Libya.

The chairman of the Or Shalom Center, Fedetzur Benatiya, told Ynet Monday that the center's delegates had trouble with Libyan authorities in the past.

"Hadad is a nice guy who's never scared," he said, adding that the photographer had visited "unfriendly nations" before.

Instrumental in mediating between Israel and Libya was Lieberman's associate, Austrian businessman Martin Schlaff.