Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli politician and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, is attempting to remove Benjamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel and his former teacher, from power by shifting his approach towards agreement and cooperation with other groups. Lieberman, who has been a prominent figure in Israeli politics for the past three decades, is now reaching out to the ultra-Orthodox.
Background of Avigdor Lieberman
Avigdor Lieberman, 68 years old and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, has been known as a staunch defender of secularism in Israel since his arrival in 1978. He initially rose to power as one of Netanyahu's close associates and helped him get elected as Prime Minister in 1996. However, over time, as Netanyahu's power grew, Lieberman became one of his fiercest critics.
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Shift Towards Agreement
Lieberman, who resigned as Minister of Defense from Netanyahu's cabinet in 2018 due to his criticisms of Netanyahu and his policies towards Hamas, recently announced that he is ready to cooperate with the ultra-Orthodox. He considers this shift in approach necessary to achieve a larger goal, namely the ousting of Netanyahu. This change of heart comes as Lieberman continues to criticize Netanyahu, blaming him for supporting Qatari funding for Gaza.
Lieberman, who is strongly opposed to Israeli Arabs, expressed his support in the recent elections for Jordan's return to control areas of the West Bank administered by the Palestinian Authority. This move angered Netanyahu, who accused him of allowing a foreign army to rule over Israeli territories.
However, Lieberman, while not backing down from his criticisms of the ultra-Orthodox, has stated that there is no option but to reach an agreement. This comes despite the fact that in the past, he described this group as "anti-Semitic" for their lack of military service. He has also taken to social media to harshly criticize the media and analysts, claiming that some attack him for their personal interests.
Ultimately, Lieberman, who is considered a consensus candidate due to recent developments and changes in his electoral base, has emphasized that his goal is not to reach the position of Prime Minister under any circumstances, but rather to achieve the national interests of Israel.
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