Egypt’s FM: Lieberman ‘Will Not Step Foot on Egyptian Soil’
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Wednesday that his Israeli counterpart, Avigdor Lieberman, is not welcome in Egypt.
“His feet will not step on Egyptian soil as long as he maintains his positions,” he told Russia Today TV.
Lieberman sparked outrage in Egypt last year when he criticized its President Hosni Mubarak in a speech before the Knesset, saying that the Egyptian leader could “go to hell.”
Since Lieberman took office, Egypt has threatened to boycotted the foreign minister and Aboul Gheit has said he will not shake his hand.
Nevertheless, the Egyptian foreign minister said his country would still work directly with the Israeli government, only not via its foreign ministry.
He also attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, branding it “an extremist, hard-line government whose leader speaks of war and of rejecting every agreement.”
Israel’s foreign ministry issued no immediate response to Aboul Gheit’s comments.
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