Israel not taking orders from Obama, says Minister

Jerusalem, Apr.7 (ANI): Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan has said that his country is not taking orders from US President Barack Obama or officials of his administration.

Responding to an earlier statement by Obama in which he reaffirmed his administration's commitment to all previous understandings between Israel and the Palestinians, including the process launched at Annapolis, Maryland, in 2007, Erdan said: "Israel does not take orders from [Barack] Obama,".Erdan, who is also the liaison between the cabinet and the Knesset, praised Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman , who said Israel was not bound by the Annapolis talks because it had never been approved by the cabinet or the Knesset.

"In voting for [Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu the citizens of Israel have decided that they will not become the US's 51st state," the Jerusalem Post quoted Erdan, as saying.

He added, however, that "Obama is a friend of Israel and the United States is an important ally, and everything between us will be the result of communication."

The Prime Minister's Office responded to Obama's comments in Turkey by saying, "Israel appreciates President Obama's commitment to Israel's security and to the pursuit of peace."

"The government of Israel is committed to both of these goals and will formulate its policies in the near future so as to work closely with the United States toward achieving these common objectives," the statement read, while not addressing Obama's comments on the Annapolis process and the two-state solution. (ANI)