Lieberman Vows to Find Way to Oust Netanyahu, Criticizes Qatar Ties
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beiteinu, rejected the concept of a minority government and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policies regarding ultra-Orthodox parties and Qatar. Lieberman advocates for a stable majority government to end Netanyahu's rule, urging increased voter turnout and support for specific parties. He also accused Netanyahu of personally approving Qatari funds to Hamas, despite warnings from the former Shin Bet chief, and criticized his advisor's post-October 7th engagement with Qatar.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman rejects minority government, seeking stable majority to end Netanyahu's rule.
- Lieberman criticizes Netanyahu's ties to ultra-Orthodox parties and alleged personal approval of Qatari funds to Hamas.
- He claims former Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman warned Netanyahu about Qatari funds to Hamas's military wing.
- Lieberman urges increased voter turnout and consolidation of votes to achieve opposition majority.
- He accuses Netanyahu's advisor of improving Qatar's image post-October 7th attacks.
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has rejected the idea of a minority government and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dealings with ultra-Orthodox parties and Qatar. Lieberman stated in an interview with the ynet podcast that a minority government is both morally unacceptable and politically impractical. He believes the opposition must focus on securing a stable majority to end Netanyahu's tenure.
Lieberman explained his opposition to relying on Arab parties for a minority government, citing concerns about specific politicians. He mentioned Yasser Hujairat of Ra'am, who allegedly called Hamas a charity, and Ofer Cassif of Hadash-Ta'al, who supported South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Lieberman also recalled the failure of the 2021 "government of change," which dissolved within a year, arguing that a minority government would be even less stable and could lead to Netanyahu's return with a larger majority.
Instead of a minority government, Lieberman urged increased voter turnout by four to five percentage points and for voters to avoid smaller parties, supporting instead four parties he considers part of the "serving camp." He estimates this strategy could yield the opposition 62-63 seats. "We will find a way to get rid of him," Lieberman declared, emphasizing his primary goal is to end Netanyahu's era and the influence of ultra-Orthodox parties, whom he accuses Netanyahu of being subservient to, promising them legislation exempting them from military service and significant funding.
Lieberman also addressed Netanyahu's relationship with Qatar and the flow of funds to Hamas. He denied Netanyahu's accusations of his own involvement, asserting that the decision to allow Qatari funding was Netanyahu's personal initiative, first publicly stated in November 2018, leading to Lieberman's resignation. Lieberman cited a video of Netanyahu explaining the decision was to prevent famine and a humanitarian crisis. He also claimed that in 2019, then-Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman warned Netanyahu that Qatari funds were reaching Hamas's military wing and proposed halting them, but Netanyahu refused. Lieberman further criticized Netanyahu's advisor Yonatan Urich for allegedly working to improve Qatar's image even after the October 7th attacks, calling the situation a betrayal and an attempt to obstruct the truth.
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