Lieberman and Yishai at Knesset (archives)
Photo: Gil Yohanan
Yishai aides: Lieberman Israel's worst FM
Sources at Interior Ministry fire back at foreign minister's criticism of migrants' deportation, say 'Lieberman is preventing deportation of Eritreans; should be the last person to comment on foreign affairs'
Ministers continue to lock horns – Sources in Interior Minister Eli Yishai's bureau leveled scathing criticism Monday evening at Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, after the latter accused him of creating a media "festival" around the deportation of South Sudanese migrants.
"Lieberman's term in office as foreign minister is one of the worst in the history of Israeli diplomacy and the number of official visits he made to the United States can attest to that," said the sources, adding that Lieberman "is the last person to lecture on matters of foreign affairs and diplomacy."
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Lieberman slams Yishai over 'deportation festival'
The sources noted that Lieberman's reaction to the deportation campaign, which he claimed was damaging to the Foreign Ministry, "Indicates of the heavy pressure he is under, while the only one acting on the matter is the interior minister."
The sources further added that "the Foreign Ministry was the one preventing the deportation of Eritrean infiltrators back to their country."
Earlier on Monday, Lieberman slammed Yishai's handling of the deportation of 127 South Sudanese migrants, saying "it's been a while since I have seen such damaging chatter surrounding the festival we witnessed yesterday.
The foreign minister also accused his colleague of trying to score political points. "I heard someone spoke about Israel's national interest. There are many who sacrifice the national interest for the momentary interest of this or that party," Lieberman said tongue in cheek, adding that he cannot recall such "outcry coming from Israel's friends, including the United States, such as in this case."
Lieberman also leveled criticism at the Interior Ministry's conduct, stressing that "everything resolved thus far was thanks to the Foreign Ministry, and not anyone else. All this chatter creates the impression that it is impossible to return 90% of the infiltrators. Everything is erased instantaneously once you see a festival like we witnessed at the airport," he noted.
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