Avigdor Lieberman Accuses Netanyahu of Politicizing Shin Bet Ahead of Elections

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, sparked controversy during an interview on Channel 12's "Meet the Press" by accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Shin Bet chief David Zini of attempting to use the Shin Bet security service for political purposes in the upcoming elections. Lieberman warned that there is a troubling effort to deploy the Shin Bet against political rivals and media outlets deemed "unfriendly" by Netanyahu, urging Shin Bet employees to document any politically motivated requests in writing. He cited previous demands for investigations into Channel 12 and security decisions against professional advice as evidence of this trend.

Lieberman harshly criticized the current government, describing its recent legislative moves as "Taliban-style legislation" and claimed these changes would be reversed by the next government. He accused the coalition of Yitzhak Goldknopf, Aryeh Deri, and Netanyahu of damaging Israel's security and military more than Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis combined. The interview also focused on the Shas party and former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, whom Lieberman criticized for praising Aryeh Deri and called Shas the "most anti-Zionist party."

Lieberman declared that the next prime minister would be one of three: himself, Naftali Bennett, or Gadi Eisenkot, and firmly ruled out joining any coalition including Goldknopf and Deri. He also condemned Defense Minister Yoav Kitz and Netanyahu for failing to support the IDF Chief of Staff amid attacks, warning that if the government remains beyond October 27, it would likely remove the chief of staff.

The Likud party swiftly dismissed Lieberman's claims as baseless, defending Netanyahu's commitment to democratic election processes and warning that if Lieberman controlled the Shin Bet, it would pose a serious threat to Israeli citizens. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Shikli also criticized Lieberman for attacking David Zini, accusing him of hypocrisy given past political misuse of intelligence services under opposition leader Ronen Bar.

Summary: Avigdor Lieberman accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of trying to politicize the Shin Bet security service ahead of Israel's elections, sparking sharp rebuttals from Likud and other officials. Lieberman also criticized the current government coalition and ruled out joining any coalition with Shas leaders, emphasizing his vision for the next prime minister.