Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) is objecting to bringing the victims of the Assad regime’s chemical attack against the Idlib suburb of Damascus, Walla reported Sunday. Liberman argues that such a move would necessitate direct contact with the Turkish military, which he prefers not to initiate.
“The access on land to Idlib is strictly through Turkey and through coordination with Turkish forces and their subordinates in Syria, and our security apparatus objects to pursuing it,” a source in Liberman’s office told Walla.
Minister of Transport and Information Israel Katz (Likud) approached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, immediately after the chemical attack, and called on him to increase the humanitarian and medical support for the victims, among whom there are many children.
Katz intends to pursue his initiative despite Liberman’s objections, declaring on Friday that “as Jews and Israelis we cannot stand idly by when human beings and their children are being attacked by lethal gas.”
Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) plans to approach international aid groups to locate some 100 Syrian children to be absorbed in boarding schools and by Arab foster families in Israel. These children could eventually apply for permanent residency in Israel.
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) supports the Deri plan, and says there is no shortage of resources to carry it out.