JERUSALEM (JTA) – Austria’s Foreign Ministry renounced a statement by the country’s defense minister calling Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s participation in the government "unbearable."
"His statements do not reflect the policies of the Austrian government," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement to the Austrian media, referring to the remarks made by Norbert Darabos.
In an interview published Sunday in the Austrian daily Die Presse, Darabos said "honestly, the fact that Minister Lieberman is a member of the Israeli government is unbearable."
Darabos also called Israel’s threats to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities "unnecessary," since "Iran can’t build a bomb yet." He said an Israeli attack on Iran "would spark an uncontrollable fire in the region and will create solidarity and empathy for Iran in the Arab world and the world at large."
The Austrian defense chief said Israel complained about Iran and the Palestinians’ unwillingness to come to the peace table in order to shift focus from "internal social issues."
