Liberman praises Jordan's King Abdullah for 'harsh response' to pilot's execution by ISIS

Foreign minister says Jordan made right move by executing terrorists in response to pilot's killing: "Terror cannot be defeated with words and declarations."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères Avigdor Liberman (photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
Le ministre des Affaires étrangères Avigdor Liberman
(photo credit: RONEN ZVULUN / REUTERS)
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday sent his condolences to Jordanian King Abdullah after a pilot from the Hashemite Kingdom was burned alive and killed by Islamic State terrorists the previous day.
"The citizens of Israel, who have been dealing with cruel terror of every kind for 66 years, identify with [Jordan's] pain and support the harsh and decisive Jordanian response to the event," he said after Jordan executed two terrorists in response to the incident.
"King Abdullah must be praised on his quick and powerful response to this despicable terror. Already this morning they executed a terrorist which ISIS had wished to have released, as well as another al-Qaida operative. Soon they will execute more terrorists imprisoned in the Kingdom," he said.
Liberman said that world leaders must respond to terror, particularly that of Islamic State in a similar manner. "Terror cannot be defeated with words and declarations, but rather with harsh actions."
He said that it was forbidden to negotiate with terrorists  or carry out prisoner swaps with them. "They must be annihilated and eradicated as the King of Jordan has done."
"The world needs strong leadership which is obligated to destroy Islamic terrorism, including ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah, al-Qaida and their partners," he said.
Amos Yadlin, the Zionist Union's candidate for defense minister, spoke with Jordanian Ambassador to Israel Walid Obeidat on Wednesday, expressing condolences over the death of the Jordanian pilot.
"This is a shocking incident that was carried out by people who have lost all trace of humanity. All of Israel commiserates with the Jordanian people - there is no opposition or coalition on this matter," Yadlin said.
"Jordan is a strategic ally of Israel and the cooperation between the countries is important to the war on terror. The incident yesterday highlights the importance of forming regional alliances that include all of the pragmatic actors as part of the fight against the extremists that threaten the stability of the entire region," he added.
Yadlin also praised as an important step Jordan's decision to send Obeidat back to Tel Aviv earlier this week, after he had been recalled in November over tensions at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.