Avigdor Lieberman Reflects on Assault Conviction, Cites 'Longer Fuse' Now

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a long-serving Knesset member, has spoken about a past criminal conviction for assaulting a minor and issuing threats. In an interview set to air on Reshet 13's "Asanaheim" program, Lieberman addressed an incident that occurred in December 1999 in the settlement of Nokdim.

According to the amended indictment to which he pleaded guilty in 2001 as part of a plea deal, Lieberman, then serving as Minister of Infrastructure, struck a 12-year-old boy. The boy had fallen and hit his head against a wall, after which Lieberman allegedly dragged him to his car and threatened further violence if he returned to the settlement. The incident stemmed from a fight where Lieberman's son, then about 10 years old, was beaten by older children.

When questioned about the discrepancy between the legal description of the event and his current perspective, Lieberman described the legal account as "too dramatic." He recounted the incident from a parental viewpoint, stating, "My son was 10 years old, if I'm not mistaken. A group of older children, 12-13 years old, attacked and beat him. I wanted to sort things out, and that's it, no one bothered him again."

The legal proceedings concluded in September 2001, with the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court sentencing Lieberman to a fine of 7,500 shekels and ordering him to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation to the child's family.

Nearly 25 years after his conviction, when asked how he would react today if his son were attacked, Lieberman offered a more conciliatory response, saying, "I've undergone surgery to lengthen my short fuse. I assume I might behave a little differently now."