U.S. will work with new Israeli Defense Minister, State Department says
Published May 22, 2016
Leader of the Yisrael Beyteinu political party Avigdor Liberman leading a press conference at the Knesset, May 18, 2016. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The United States said it would work with the successor to Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, following his resignation.
“We appreciate Mr. Yaalon’s leadership and partnership as defense minister and we look forward to working with his successor,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said Friday, Reuters reported. “Our bonds of friendship are unbreakable, and our commitment to the security of Israel remains absolute.”
Israel’s Channel 10 on Sunday cited an unnamed U.S. government official as saying that the appointment of Yisrael Beiteinu Party head Avigdor Liberman to replace Yaalon will not affect security coordination between the countries and that it would not affect the military aid package currently being negotiated with Israel.
The report came hours after Israel’s Channel 2 reported that the U.S. warned Israel that the appointment of Liberman would cause problems for the defense talks.
Yaalon resigned from the Knesset and from his ministerial position on Friday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was immersed in talks to replace him with hard-line Yisrael Beiteinu Party head Avigdor Liberman. He said in leaving that the Likud Party had been “taken over by extremist and dangerous entities,” and that Likud “is no longer the movement I joined.” Bringing the Yisrael Beiteinu Party into the government coalition increases the one-seat majority to six.
On Saturday night, several hundred protesters gathered in HaBimah Square in Tel Aviv to protest the new political coalition. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Bibi you failed, Bibi go home” and “We don’t want more victims, Liberman is a minister of war,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday morning during the weekly Cabinet meeting that from the time the government was formed he planned to expand the government coalition.
“A government that is as broad as possible is the best thing for the State of Israel. We are in the midst of moves to expand the government. I think that a broader coalition will help us meet the many challenges facing us and also take advantage of the opportunities,” Netanyahu said.
“I would like to make it clear that a broad government will continue to strive for a diplomatic process with the Palestinians and we will do so with the assistance of elements in the region. I personally deal with this a lot, in many places and I intend to continue to do so,” he said.
