Palestinian FM meets with Czech counterpart in Ramallah

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK – NOVEMBER 14: Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki on Wednesday met with Czech counterpart Tomas Petricek in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s administrative capital. After the meeting, al-Maliki told reporters that he and Petricek had discussed means of enhancing bilateral relations and international issues of common concern. He added that he had briefed the Czech FM on the current situation in the Palestinian territories and recent Israeli military escalations against the blockaded Gaza Strip. Al-Maliki went on to criticize continued U.S. support for Israel and Washington’s reluctance to condemn Israel's rights violations at the UN Security Council. He also addressed Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s abrupt resignation on Wednesday, saying the PA had not been surprised by his decision. “Lieberman aspires to a higher position [in the Israeli government] at the expense of Palestinian blood,” al-Maliki said. (Footage by Hisham Abu Shaqrah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)