Israel warns against UN membership for Palestine

Hardline Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned yesterday there would be “harsh and grave consequences” if the Palestinians persist with their plan to seek UN membership as a state.

Speaking shortly before a meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, he did not elaborate on the possible consequences.

In the past he has called for Israel to sever all relations with the Administration of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas should it press on with its UN bid.

“What I can say with the greatest confidence is that from the moment they pass a unilateral decision there will be harsh and grave consequences,” Mr Lieberman told an agricultural conference in southern Israel.

“I hope that we shall not come to those harsh and grave consequences, and that common sense will prevail in all decisions taken, in order to allow co-existence and progress with negotiations,” he added. Some hardline Israeli ministers are calling for Israel to annex chunks of the West Bank if the Palestinians go ahead, though Israeli officials say they have not finalised their response to the UN move as the Palestinians have yet to reveal its details.

“We’re not saying what we’ll do, a lot of our reaction is subject to what the final resolution will say,” a foreign ministry official said earlier this week on condition of anonymity.

Mr Lieberman has accused the Palestinians of planning an “unprecedented bloodbath” after the UN move, although they say they will hold purely peaceful rallies.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak earlier yesterday met Ms Ashton in Jerusalem.