JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to bring down the Netanyahu government if it orders the demolition of two West Bank outposts.
Lieberman said Monday at a meeting of his Yisrael Beiteinu party that he would pull his party out of the government coalition, causing it to collapse, if the government goes ahead with the planned demolition of the Givat Assaf and Migron outposts. Both demolitions have been ordered by Israel’s Supreme Court.
Lieberman also threatened to bring down the government if the Cabinet decides to transfer withheld Palestinian tax money to the Palestinian Authority. The Security Cabinet on Sunday decided to continue to withhold about $100 million in tax payments collected on the Palestinians’ behalf.
The money was withheld originally after the Palestinians were accepted as full members of UNESCO, the United Nations scientific and cultural agency, and is continuing to be withheld over Fatah-Hamas unity talks.
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