Avigdor Lieberman: Difference between revisions

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Avigdor Lieberman (Hebrew: אביגדור ליברמן (audio)^ⓘ, Russian: Авигдор (Эве́т Львович) Либерман, born 5 June 1958)^[1] is an Israeli politician, Member of the Knesset, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party.

A polarizing figure within Israeli politics, Lieberman is quoted as saying, "I've always been controversial because I offer new ideas. For me to be controversial, I think this is positive."^[2] Lieberman has called for Israel to redraw its borders to hand over Arab areas and Arab-Israeli populations to the control of the Palestinian Authority while retaining major settlement blocs, and require all Israelis, including the often anti-Zionist Haredim and Arab citizens of Israel, to sign loyalty oaths or lose their right to vote. Despite Lieberman's backing of the so-called "two-state solution"^[3], a large number of media sources describe him as "far-right", "ultra-nationalist" and "anti-Arab",^{[4][5][6][7][8]} while other right-wing parties, which completely oppose the creation of a Palestinian state are usually described as religious or hard-line.^[9]

Lieberman first entered the Knesset in 1999, and has since served in numerous roles in the government, including as Minister of National Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Strategic Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

Born in Kishinev, Soviet Union (now Moldova). As a teenager, Lieberman worked as a nightclub bouncer^[10] and as a broadcaster in Baku before emigrating to Israel in 1978 at the age of 20. In Israel he served in the Artillery Corps of the Israel Defense Forces,^[11] and received a BA in International Relations and Political Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

From 1983 to 1988 Lieberman helped found the Zionist Forum for Soviet Jewry and was a member of the Board of the Jerusalem Economic Corporation and the Secretary of the Jerusalem branch of the Histadrut Ovdim Le'umit ("National Workers' Union"). From 1993 to 1996 he served as Director-General of the Likud party, and from 1996 to 1997 was Director-General of the Prime Minister's office serving Benjamin Netanyahu. In 1999 he founded the Yisrael Beiteinu party and was the editor of the newspaper Yoman Israeli (Israeli Diary). Lieberman supports Israeli membership in the European Union and NATO.^[12]

Lieberman was elected to the Knesset in 1999, and served as Chairman of the Israel-Moldova Parliamentary Friendship League. In March 2001 Lieberman was appointed Minister of National Infrastructure, but resigned the post in March 2002. He was re-elected in January 2003 as part of a joint National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu list, and in February was appointed Minister of Transportation. However, he was sacked from the cabinet by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in May 2004 due to his opposition to the disengagement plan.

Lieberman is married to Ella (née Tzipkin) and has three children. They reside in the Judean Desert settlement Nokdim on the West Bank.

In late May 2004, Lieberman proposed a plan in which the populations and territories of Israeli Jews and Arabs, including some Israeli Arabs, would be "separated". According to the plan, also known as the "Populated-Area Exchange Plan", Israeli Arab towns adjacent to Palestinian Authority areas would be transferred to Palestinian Authority, and only those Arab Israelis who migrated from the area to within Israel's new borders and pledged loyalty to Israel would be allowed to remain Israeli citizens. On 30 May Prime Minister Ariel Sharon condemned Lieberman's statements, stating "We regard Israeli Arabs as part of the State of Israel."^[13] On 4 June 2004, as the disputes over the up-coming disengagement plan grew more intense, Sharon dismissed Lieberman from the cabinet.^[14][15]

Arab-Israelis within the "Triangle" area of Israel would lose their Israeli citizenship unless they move to within Israel's new borders and pledge a loyalty oath. In general, Arab Israelis are opposed to the plan and many believe it is racist. ^{[16] [17]} The Israeli left opposes the plan. Akiva Eldar has stated that it undermines the moral high ground of Israel^[18]. Haaretz has argued that the plan "is nothing but polite packaging that does not succeed in concealing its real aspiration: delegitimizing all the Arab citizens of Israel. "^[19] Legal experts have cast doubt on the legality of such a move under Israeli and international law.

After the 2009 Israeli elections, Lieberman said he changed his mind in recent years and decided to support the creation of a Palestinian state. He wrote in a letter to the The Jewish Week that he "advocates the creation of a viable Palestinian state", and told The Washington Post that he would agree to the evacuation of Nokdim "if there really will be a two-state solution". He explained in the Knesset that "reality changes" and that his shift had occurred over the last few years.^[20] In his The Jewish Week article, Lieberman tried to explain his party's "no loyalty – no citizenship" campaign by writing: "During Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, I was appalled by the calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and for renewed suicide bombings that some Israeli Arab leaders called for at pro-Hamas rallies. Although 'responsible citizenship' had always been part of our platform, I realized that this was a burning issue that had to take top priority".^[21] He explained his "responsible citizenship" platform and compared his position to the express policy of nations around the world, saying: "In the U.S., those requesting a Green Card must take an oath that they will fulfill the rights and duties of citizenship".^[22]

In a poll published by Yedioth Ahronoth on 21 September 2006, Lieberman had more support than any politician except for Netanyahu to be the next Prime Minister of Israel (Olmert came fifth, with 7%).^[23] Some Druze support Lieberman, and a third of the Druze of the Golan Heights who hold Israeli citizenship voted for him in the 2006 elections.^[24] In 2009, his party received 50%, 48%, and 38% of votes from the Golan Druze towns of Majdal Shams, Mas'ade, and Buqata, respectively, a vote described as a "protest".^[25] The majority of his constituency are secular Russian-speaking Israelis as well as former Likud supporters, who feel that party has drifted from its founding Jabotinskian principles.^{[citation needed]}

A large number of mass media sources within and outside of Israel label Yisrael Beiteinu and Lieberman as far right^[26] or ultra nationalist.^[27] Others consider him right wing or a populist.^[28] Lieberman recognizes the two-state solution and is considered a secularist^[29], both of which are contradictory to the tradition of right wing politics in Israel ^{[citation needed]}.

Various Arab media, world media, and politicians have accused Lieberman of being a fascist, a racist,^[30] and "anti-Arab"^[31]. A number of Israeli media and politicians disagree.^[32] Gershom Gorenberg has attempted to explain the differences in opinion by writing that^[33] :

Lieberman is not a right-winger, because he’s talking about giving up land. In fact, he’s even willing to give up land from sovereign Israel. [..] I think one of the reasons people say Lieberman is in the center is that they don’t realize he has, in effect, redefined the terms.

Haaretz reported in March 2009 that "opinion columns in the American press have presented Lieberman in an extremely negative light..." The article also quoted European and Arab newspapers that wrote very negatively of him.^[34]

Most of the controversy associated with Lieberman is due to his statements regarding Palestinians and Arab-Israelis, causing alarm among these groups.^[5] He has been accused of promoting anti-Arab bigotry by a number of commentators and has been compared to several "xenophobic" and "populist" European politicians.^[6][7][35]

Lieberman advocates negotiated land and population exchanges, seeking to reduce the number of Arabs who are Israeli citizens and dividing Jews and Arabs into two culturally homogeneous states. The suggested plan is to award the Palestinian Authority governorship over Arab towns near the West Bank in exchange for Israeli annexation of large settlements in the West Bank.

Under Lieberman's proposal, only those who pledge loyalty to the State of Israel as a Jewish state would be allowed to retain their citizenship. The oath plan targets mostly Arab Israelis, but also Haredi Jews,^[36] and has been called "insulting" and "unabashedly racist".^[7][37][38]

In November 2006, Lieberman called for the Arab members of the Knesset which met with Hamas, to be tried for treason, which carries a death sentence. In his words, "World War II ended with the Nuremberg trials. The heads of the Nazi regime, along with their collaborators, were executed. I hope this will be the fate of the collaborators in [the Knesset]."^[39]

In response, Ahmad Tibi, leader of the Arab nationalist party Ta'al and one-time advisor to Yasser Arafat, demanded that "a criminal investigation be initiated against Lieberman for violating the law against incitement and racism".^[40] Lieberman was cleared of racism charges by the Israeli Deputy State prosecutor, while admitting that the office objected to the content of his statement. Tibi strongly objected to Lieberman's ministerial appointment, describing him as "a racist and a fascist". Labour minister Ophir Pines-Paz, who resigned over Lieberman's appointment, echoed Tibi's remarks, saying that Lieberman was tainted "by racist declarations and declarations that harm the democratic character of Israel".^[41]

In remarks in the Knesset in March 2008, shortly after the 6 March attack at Jerusalem's Mercaz HaRav yeshiva, Lieberman stated that "yesterday's attack can not be disconnected from the Arab MKs incitement, which we hear daily in the Knesset."^[42] and, directed at Arab MKs, that "a new administration will be established and then we will take care of you."^[43]

Following nine terrorist attacks on Israelis perpetrated by Palestinian militants during a two-day period in March 2002,^[44] the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Lieberman's proposal for an ultimatum to the Palestinians to halt all terror activity or face wide-ranging attacks on commercial centers: "if it were up to me I would notify the Palestinian Authority that tomorrow at ten in the morning we would bomb all their places of business in Ramallah, for example."^[45] This led Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to respond that excessive military measures could lead to accusations of war crimes.^[46]

In July 2003, reacting to a commitment made by Ariel Sharon to the US, where amnesty could be given to approximately 350 Palestinian prisoners including members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Lieberman rejected a chance to participate in the related committee and said "It would be better to drown these prisoners in the Dead Sea if possible, since that's the lowest point in the world,"^[47][48][49] Lieberman continued, according to Galei Tzahal ('Israel Army Radio'), stating his willingness, as Minister of Transport, to supply buses to take the prisoners there.^[50] Lieberman's suggestion also led to confrontation between Lieberman and Arab-Israeli MKs Ahmed Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al), Jamal Zahalka (Balad), Taleb el-Sana, Abdelmalek Dahamsha (United Arab List) as well as opposition leader Shimon Peres.^[51]

In January 2009, during the Gaza conflict, Lieberman argued that Israel "must continue to fight Hamas just like the United States did with the Japanese in World War II. Then, too, the occupation of the country was unnecessary."^[52][53] This threat has been interpreted by some commentators as an allusion to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and as advocacy for a nuclear strike against Gaza. ^[54][55][56]

On the eve of the 2009 elections Haaretz published that Liebrman was involved with the Kach (Hebrew: כ"ך) party of Rabbi Meir Kahane shortly after his immigration to Israel in 1979, based on the testimony of two activists in the movement, Elazar Eskin and Yosef Dayan, and was an actual member of the party for a brief time. Lieberman refused to respond and called the publication an "orchestrated provocation".^[57][58] Kach was barred from participating in the election in 1988 under the revised Knesset Elections Law banning parties that incited racism and was declared a terrorist organization in 1994.^[59][60]

Some of Lieberman's connections with local and foreign businessmen are currently under police investigation. Lieberman allegedly received millions of shekels from various entrepreneurs while serving as member of Knesset; under Israeli law, MKs are not allowed to receive any payment beyond their salary. One claim is that Michael Cherney paid a company called Path to the East large amounts of money between the years 1999 and 2006, and that these sums were then allegedly passed on to Lieberman as a bribe. Other allegations concern a company called M.L.1, founded by Lieberman's daughter Michal when she was 21^[61]. These allegations concern money transferred to M.L.1 from unknown sources outside Israel; the money was later allegedly used for paying salaries to Avigdor and Michal Lieberman.^[62] Lieberman is also under investigation for receiving a bribe from Austrian-Jewish businessman Martin Schlaff.^[63]

As a result, Israeli group the Movement for Quality Government has petitioned the High Court of Justice against the appointment of Lieberman as deputy prime minister and foreign minister. They argue that the appointment is unreasonable given that Lieberman is under criminal investigation.^[64]

Lieberman denies all allegations of wrongdoing in these cases, and claims that the police is conspiring against him. In particular, he has pointed to the proximity of his investigation to the 2009 Israeli elections and said that such investigations are "part of my routine before every parliamentary election."^[62] Allegations of bias on the part of the police have also been reported in Arutz Sheva, a right-wing Israeli news outlet, who reported that the investigation, which had been "ongoing for years, suddenly became active again once [Lieberman] left the government" in January 2008.^[65]

On 2nd April, 2009 Lieberman was question by police on suspicion of corruption for at least seven hours at the national squad headquarters in central Israel. It was part of an ongoing investigation examining his business dealings. Lieberman denied all allegations. He claimed the investigation has been dragged out, and had filed a petition to the court requesting a speedy process. [47]

On September 24, 2001, Lieberman acknowledged in the Jerusalem District Court that he attacked a twelve-year-old youth from Tekoa, who had hit his son. The incident occurred in December, 1999 in the Nokdim settlement. His son told him that three boys hit him. Lieberman located one of the boys in a trailer and hit him in the face. After the boy fell and was injured, the defendant grabbed him by the shirt-collar and arm, took him back to his parent’s home in Tekoa and threatened that he would attack him again if he returned to Nokdim.^[66][67][68] He was charged with assaulting and threatening him. Lieberman was convicted based on his own confession in the context of a plea bargain. His attorney asked the judges, in the context of the arrangement, to restrict his punishment to a fine amid the defendant’s promise that he will not commit such an act in the future. The judge ultimately ruled that Lieberman must pay the child a compensation of 10,000 shekels, and an additional fine of 7,500 shekels.

This article appears to be slanted towards recent events. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. (March 2009)

In October 2006, Lieberman and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signed a coalition agreement under which Lieberman became the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs, a new position with a focus towards the strategic threat from Iran.^[69] However, he left the cabinet when Yisrael Beiteinu resigned from the coalition in January 2008. Lieberman's party emerged the third largest party in Israel after February 2009 general elections, and he is widely viewed as a kingmaker holding the key to the next government lead by the Likud party.

Avigdor Lieberman on the Knesset website

• The appointment of Israel’s new deputy PM raises fears of a new catastrophe, says Robert Fox
• Akiva Eldar: Let's hear it for the Haiders Ha'aretz, 31 October 2006.
• PM: Lieberman opinion on trading Arabs not my own Ha'aretz, 5 November 2006.
• Official website of Yisrael Beiteinu
• Lieberman, Avigdor (2009-02-25). "The Case For 'Responsible Citizenship' in Israel". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
• Weymouth, Lally (2009-03-01). "A Conversation With Avigdor Lieberman". The Washington Post. ISSN 0740-5421. Retrieved 2009-03-01.

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