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Report: Lieberman met Abbas rival Dahlan for talks
Media reports claimed yesterday that Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman held secret talks with exiled Palestinian leader Mohammed Dahlan, considered a political enemy of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to the Israeli Walla news site, Lieberman and Dahlan have met in at least two European capitals, including in Paris 10 days ago. The meetings were also reported by the Arabic-language website Arab48. Walla also says that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Abbas directly and via Shin Bet head Yoram Cohen that Lieberman’s meetings with Dahlan had not been authorised by him.
Dahlan is a prominent Palestinian leader, considered by some to be a rival to Abbas. He headed the Palestinian security forces in Gaza until Hamas forcibly seized power there in 2007. Dahlan had also been part of the Palestinian negotiating team at the Camp David talks in 2000. Accused of corruption and other misdemeanours, Dahlan was expelled by Abbas from the Fatah faction and effectively exiled to Dubai in 2011.
Lieberman has often sharply criticised Abbas and stated that he is not a partner for peace. However, he denied yesterday that he had met Dahlan, who in turn told Walla that reports of the two liaising were “meant to serve internal Israeli goals ahead of Knesset elections.” Over the weekend, Dahlan also told Sky News Arabic that he would build a united front against Abbas, following his failed bid to pass a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution mandating an Israeli West Bank withdrawal. Dahlan described the UN initiative as a “disaster.”
Meretz leader Zahava Gal-On yesterday condemned the reported Lieberman-Dahlan meetings and called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to “reign in his foreign minister.” She accused Lieberman of attempting “to depose the head of the Palestinian Authority, a move opposed to Israel’s interests.”
Meanwhile, Lieberman, who is often considered a hard-liner, has recently encouraged diplomatic initiative and touted a regional peace plan in order to reach a resolution with the Palestinians.