Israeli official: Netanyahu tried to hide Egyptian cease-fire proposal from cabinet

Haaretz ^ | Aug. 18, 2014 | 11:53 PM | Barak Ravid

[Dave346]

The prime minister went on to say that the proposal only addressed the issues of Gaza's rehabilitation and the lifting of the blockade on the Strip, Only when Lieberman brought copy to cabinet meeting did PM reluctantly admit its existence.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried last week to hide from cabinet ministers the draft of a cease-fire agreement drawn up by Egypt. A senior Israeli official said that during last Thursday evening's cabinet meeting, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman confronted Netanyahu, showing him the copy of the Egyptian proposal that he, Lieberman, had received, and demanded an explanation.

The Israeli official said Lieberman surprised Netanyahu with this revelation. This was the first that the other cabinet ministers had heard that Israel had received a draft cease-fire agreement from the Egyptians, and they demanded copies of their own so they could review it.

A stormy atmosphere ensued and Netanyahu found himself on the defensive. The official said Netanyahu told the cabinet members that it was only a proposal, one of many that had been updated again and again in previous days.

"I didn't say 'yes' to this draft and for now we do not accept it," he told the ministers. At one point Netanyahu exited the cabinet meeting to speak with some visiting mayors from the south. That get-together was to last only a few minutes, yet Netanyahu stretched it out to more than an hour. Eventually Lieberman and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon lost their patience and left the cabinet meeting. It was decided to adjourn and continue the following morning.

When the ministers entered the cabinet room Friday morning, Netanyahu had no choice but to present the Egyptian proposal to them. He told the cabinet members that he was rejecting it because it did not answer Israel's security demands.

[DoughtyOne]

Lets see.  Who's in charge.  It is Lieberman or Netanyahu?

Netanyahu has the right to make this determination IMO.

The agreement was very problematic IMO, and Netanyahu undoubtedly wanted to do what was best for Israel.

Does Lieberman think there should be an air-strip in Gaza?  One nuke and a suicde bomber later, guess what takes place within very few minutes of a take-off.

There's also the call to remove all buffer zones.  Doe Lieberman think that's a swell idea?

Who is this numb n-t anyway?

Ramirez's latest political cartoon LARGE VERSION 08/18/2014: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.

FOLKS, THOSE OF YOU WHO CAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE AND PENCIL IN YOUR DONATION TO HELP END THIS FREEPATHON.  THANK YOU!
...this is a general all purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

Folks, I don't think there's a one of us who doesn't want Free Republic to remain a viable internet site.  Please help end this Freep-a-thon now.