Israeli Government Approves Lieberman's Appointment as Defense Minister

The government of Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel approved on Monday, June 1st, the appointment of Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of an extremist right-wing party, to the position of Defense Minister. According to Israeli media, Lieberman will officially take up this position in the Knesset on Tuesday, June 2nd. This is the first time in Israeli history that the Ministry of Defense is held by someone with no military or security experience. Lieberman's party, 'Israel Our Home,' recently formed a coalition with the ruling Likud party led by Netanyahu. With this coalition, Netanyahu increased his government support from 61 to 66 members among the 120 Knesset representatives to have a 'more stable government.' Another right-wing party, 'Jewish Home,' which is allied with Netanyahu's government, threatened that three of its ministers and eight party representatives in the Knesset would vote against Lieberman's appointment unless Netanyahu also met their demands. A compromise was reached late Sunday night between Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett, the leader of 'Jewish Home,' which alleviated the risk of government dissolution. General Moshe Ya'alon resigned from the position of Defense Minister ten days ago, citing severe criticisms of Netanyahu's performance. Ya'alon also resigned from the Likud party and the Knesset. A week after Ya'alon's resignation, Avi Gabay, the environmental minister from Likud, also announced his resignation, warning of the 'destruction of Israel' due to Netanyahu's government policies. Ayoub Qara, Netanyahu's Arab Druze deputy, also complained last Saturday that the Prime Minister has handed the political scene over to 'the most dangerous pieces.' These governmental changes in Israel come as the Israeli police, after years of investigating allegations against Sara Netanyahu, the Prime Minister's wife, stated on Sunday, June 1st, that Mrs. Netanyahu should be tried. Sara Netanyahu, who has faced multiple complaints from technical and service staff of the Prime Minister's office and residence, is accused of misusing state resources for managing their two private homes. However, Netanyahu stated that the 'problems' arising for his wife and the political criticisms against his coalition with 'Israel Our Home' will not disrupt his cabinet's work. On Monday, June 1st, Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a request from the 'Freedom of Information' movement regarding the publication of his and his family's personal expenses. Meanwhile, Palestinians and Hezbollah in Lebanon have warned against any potential military movements by the Israeli army following Lieberman's tenure as Defense Minister. A Hamas spokesperson stated, 'If Lieberman is a man, let him come close to Gaza.' Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, also described Lieberman last Friday as a 'dispersed, crazy, and psychotic being' and said Hezbollah is prepared for any situation. At the same time, Israeli media have previously reported that military preparations in the southern sector with Gaza and the northern border with Lebanon have been intensified to be ready for potential events. Lieberman, 57, who immigrated from Chișinău in Moldova to Israel in 1978 at the age of 20, entered the political scene in 1996 with the position of head of the Prime Minister's office in Netanyahu's first government. He has previously served as Foreign Minister, and his party 'Israel Our Home,' with far-right views, is mostly supported by Russian immigrants in Israel. After the March 2015 elections, Lieberman joined the opposition, and despite a significant decrease in his party's power, he has now managed to maneuver politically to force Netanyahu to hand over the Defense Minister position to him.