Avigdor Lieberman Becomes Israel's New Defense Minister

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the 'Israel Our Home' party, as the new Defense Minister by signing an agreement to form a coalition with another far-right party. The two sides guaranteed that the most right-wing government in Israeli history would act responsibly. According to Reuters, after Mr. Lieberman's swearing-in, the number of coalition supporters in the Israeli parliament will reach 66. Increasing the number of supportive seats was one of Mr. Netanyahu's key goals since the beginning of his fourth term last year. Before this coalition, out of a total of 120 seats in the Israeli parliament, 61 were supportive of the government. Mr. Lieberman's return to the Israeli cabinet has raised questions due to his criticisms of Israeli Arabs, his opposition to peace negotiations with the Palestinians, and regional powers like Egypt and Turkey, both domestically and abroad. He previously served as Israel's Foreign Minister. At the signing ceremony of this agreement, Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman expressed their views in English to the international community. Mr. Netanyahu stated, 'My government will remain committed to efforts for peace with the Palestinians and neighboring countries. My policies have not changed. We will continue to seek peace while ensuring the security of Israeli citizens through various means.' The Israeli Prime Minister added that a more inclusive and stable government would make it easier to 'take advantage of new opportunities' in the region. This point may refer to rapprochement with regional Arab countries that are also concerned about the rise of radical Islamism and the expansion of Iranian influence. Palestinians say that Mr. Lieberman's return, as a resident of one of the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and leader of the far-right 'Israel Our Home' party, will darken the future of negotiations between the two sides, which failed in 2014. However, Mr. Lieberman, who once threatened to bomb Egypt's Aswan Dam and called for the assassination of Hamas leaders, promised a 'responsible and reasonable' policy in part of his remarks delivered in English. He said, 'Ultimately, my goal is to ensure Israel's security, and there is no doubt that we are all committed to peace and reaching a final agreement with the Palestinians.' A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority, stated, 'What matters is practical actions, not words. Israel must learn the true lesson of peace because without solving the Palestinian issue, peace and stability in the region will not be established.' Reuters notes that Mr. Netanyahu began talks with the far-right party led by Avigdor Lieberman last week after negotiations to form a coalition government with the center-left 'Zionist Union' failed. The closeness to Mr. Lieberman raised eyebrows as he and Mr. Netanyahu had many disagreements. Several former Israeli defense ministers criticized Mr. Lieberman's appointment, stating that he has no experience in defense matters. The 'Israel Our Home' party has six representatives in parliament, but simultaneously with the recent agreement, one of its parliamentary members announced that due to the party's inability to advance economic and social reforms, he would vote independently in parliament from now on. 'Israel Our Home' is the sixth party to join Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, which includes nationalist and religious parties. This move led Moshe Ya'alon, a member of the Likud party and former army general who was the defense minister until now, to resign from his position. He could potentially become a rival to Benjamin Netanyahu in the future.