The Jerusalem Post

Liberman to Haley: Make Lebanon expel Hamas leaders

- • By HERB KEINON

Jerusalem on Friday called on the US to use its influence in Lebanon to get Beirut to expel three Hamas leaders who have recently taken refuge in the country and begun planning attacks from there on Israel.

The request came during a meeting in Jerusalem between Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and UN Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on the last full day of her three-day visit to Israel.

“The three individual­s, headed by Saleh al-Arouri, will continue to facilitate terror attacks against Israel from within Lebanese territory. They will, at the same time, strengthen the bonds between Hamas and Hezbollah,” Liberman said.

“Arouri is a dangerous terrorist responsibl­e for heinous attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, and he cannot be permitted to continue to act,” the minister continued.

Last year Israel demanded that Arouri, who was operating from Turkey, be expelled from there before normalizin­g relations with Ankara.

A report last week in the Lebanese media said that Qatar – under unpreceden­ted pressure from other Arab countries to stop aiding terrorist organizati­ons – ordered all Hamas members to leave the country.

“Lebanon is a sovereign country that maintains relations with the US, relations that include meetings at the highest levels between senior officials in Beirut and Washington,” Liberman said. “From our point of view Lebanon is responsibl­e for what is happening there and for terror acts emanating from there, and therefore it is important that the US act with the Lebanese government with the goal of expelling the three Hamas officials and prevent the establishm­ent of an additional terror command on its territory.”

Liberman and Haley also discussed the campaign of delegitimi­zation against Israel, and Hamas’s refusal to return the bodies of IDF soldiers Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, as well as its holding of two Israeli citizens, Avraham Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed – asking for her assistance in this matter.

According to Liberman’s office, he also discussed the Palestinia­n Authority’s payments of salaries to imprisoned terrorists and the families of terrorists, and gave her a list of the American citizens killed by Palestinia­n terrorists.

At the opening of the meeting he presented Haley with a miniature high-heeled shoe, a reference to her speech at AIPAC’s policy conference in March in which she blasted the UN bias against Israel and said, “I wear high heels, it’s not for a fashion statement, it’s because if I see something wrong I will kick it every single time.”

“You are a true friend of Israel, and we appreciate your great help and the struggle you lead against those who want to harm and slander us,” Liberman said. “We all remember with great appreciati­on your saying that you arrived at the UN with high heels, not as a fashion statement but to kick those that vilify Israel. So as a token of our appreciati­on I give this souvenir, and you are welcome to use it whenever you need.”

Haley also visited Yad Vashem on Friday, where she toured the museum and took part in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembranc­e. In the guest book she wrote the following: “We must always honor and remember the lives lost during one of the most horrible times in history. There is a lesson here. Leadership is not about power. Leadership is the acknowledg­ment and value of human dignity. We must always choose a side.”

Eytan Halon contribute­d to this report.

 ?? (Matty Stern/US Embassy Tel Aviv) ?? US AMBASSADOR to the UN Nikki Haley receives a gift from the defense minister on Friday. Under the miniature high-heeled shoe, a reference to her speech at AIPAC’s policy conference in March, is written: ‘To the UN’s new sheriff. Respectful­ly, Avigdor...
(Matty Stern/US Embassy Tel Aviv) US AMBASSADOR to the UN Nikki Haley receives a gift from the defense minister on Friday. Under the miniature high-heeled shoe, a reference to her speech at AIPAC’s policy conference in March, is written: ‘To the UN’s new sheriff. Respectful­ly, Avigdor...

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