Liberman Reflects on Past Assault Conviction, Says He'd Act Differently Today

Avigdor Liberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a Knesset member, has spoken about a controversial episode from his political career that resulted in his criminal conviction for assaulting a minor and issuing threats. In a candid interview set to air on Channel 13, Liberman addressed an incident that occurred in December 1999 in the settlement of Nokdim.

According to the amended indictment to which Liberman pleaded guilty in a 2001 plea bargain, he was serving as Minister of Infrastructure at the time. The indictment stated that Liberman struck a 12-year-old boy in the face after the youth fell and hit his head on a wall. Liberman then forcibly dragged the boy to his car and threatened further violence if he returned to the settlement. The incident stemmed from a fight where Liberman's son, then around 10 years old, was allegedly beaten by a group of older children.

When asked about the discrepancy between the legal description of events and his current perspective, Liberman described the indictment's wording as "too dramatic." Recounting the event from a father's viewpoint, he stated, "My son was 10 years old, if I'm not mistaken. A group of older children, 12-13 years old, attacked him and beat him. I wanted to set things right and I did it, that's all. After that, no one approached him again." The legal proceedings concluded in September 2001 with the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court fining Liberman 7,500 shekels and ordering him to pay 10,000 shekels in compensation to the boy's family.

Approximately twenty-five years after the conviction, when asked how he would react today if his son were attacked again, Liberman offered a more measured response. He acknowledged that his reaction might differ from his 1999 actions, stating, "I underwent an operation to lengthen a short fuse. I think, perhaps, today I would behave a little differently."