Avigdor Lieberman Vows to Block Democrats From Key Government Posts Amid Sharp Exchange with Yair Golan

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, declared at a public conference in Ramat Hasharon that he will not allow the Democratic Party to hold senior ministerial positions such as Defense, Internal Security, or Justice in any future Israeli government. When asked about the possibility of forming a government including the Democrats, Lieberman firmly responded, "No and no. It is simply unacceptable."

The confrontation escalated when Lieberman was asked about his frequent attacks on Democratic Party leader Yair Golan. Lieberman retorted sharply, "We would be happy to compliment him, if only he would keep quiet. That is his greatest contribution to our victory."

Golan quickly responded on X (formerly Twitter), accusing Lieberman of echoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's divisive campaign rhetoric. He wrote, "Avigdor, it’s time to stop serving Netanyahu’s incitement campaign," and criticized Netanyahu’s advisor Jonathan Urich for delegitimizing the Democrats to reduce the opposition bloc’s strength and help Netanyahu return to power. Golan urged unity within the opposition, stating, "We can fight later in government, but first we must win."

This public clash highlights the tensions within Israel’s opposition ahead of government formation talks, with Lieberman taking a hard line against cooperation with the Democrats, while Golan calls for solidarity to defeat Netanyahu’s Likud party. The dispute centers on control of key security and justice portfolios and the broader strategy for forming a coalition government.