Lieberman to EU: If you want to end Gaza siege, help stop arms smuggling

The Foreign Minister met with Catherine Ashton on Wednesday, who said crossings into Gaza must be opened to allow for economic reconstruction.

By DPA

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton visited Israel Wednesday and was told by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman that if Europe wanted Israel to lift its siege of the Gaza Strip, it had to help halt the flow of weapons into the territory.

"If you want to bring about an end to the siege of the Gaza Strip, you have to take responsibility and set up a strong, genuine and effective force to stop weapons smuggling," Lieberman said, according to a communique put out by his office after he met with Ashton Wednesday night.

He said the siege had been imposed because of the "ceaseless" smuggling of weapons - which were used against Israel - into the strip, mainly though tunnels running under the closed border between Gaza and Egypt.

"I can assure you that the moment the weapons smuggling to Gaza stops, the siege will be lifted," he said.

An EU statement described Ashton's visit as taking place "to confirm the commitment of the European Union to the peace process, and to reiterate the need for the opening of crossings into Gaza in order to allow for its reconstruction and economic recovery."

Prior to her visit, Ashton noted that "urgent progress is now needed towards a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace, and the European Union will continue to support all efforts towards that goal."

Ashton will hold two days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. She also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in separate meetings with Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni on Wednesday.

Livni also focused on Iran's nuclear drive, and urged the EU to adopt a "resolute" position, "so that Iran understands that the world will no longer accept Teheran's shuffling around and lagging in an attempt to obtain nuclear weapons."

The Iranian regime is suspected of trying to obtain nuclear weapons and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other Iranian leaders have repeatedly made statements to the effect that Israel should be wiped off the map.