Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday he would not quit the coalition government if it decides to apologise to Turkey for killing 9 Turks aboard a pro-Palestinian activist ship last year.
Lieberman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's most powerful and hawkish political partner, has publicly scorned meeting Ankara's demand that Israel atone for storming the Mavi Marmara as it led an aid flotilla toward the blockaded Gaza Strip. But after Israeli officials said Netanyahu might relent after long balking at an apology, Lieberman denied having any plan to quit in protest.
"Whether or not there is agreement in the government about this matter, this government is strong," he told reporters. "No one is looking for excuses and reasons to leave the government."
Israel's debate over apologising to Turkey has been spurred by its expectation that an imminent UN report on the high seas interception will largely vindicate its Gaza blockade strategy.
Turkey, which like Israel had a delegate on the UN inquiry panel led by former New Zealand prime minister Geoffrey Palmer, has yet to sign the report and Netanyahu envoys have been in bilateral talks with Ankara in the hope of bridging the rifts.
The United Nations said the report was due out this month after several delays. Israel gave a July 27 publication date. Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a centre-leftist in the Israeli cabinet and vocal proponent of accommodating the Turks, on Sunday told reporters he hoped the release would again be deferred "to provide more time to examine matters in-depth".
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