In fresh salvo, Liberman says defense minister failed in post

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on Monday fired off criticism at Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, portraying him as an insignificant figure, as a pre-election squabble between the two senior cabinet figures intensified.

“Ya’alon was an excellent soldier, but as defense minister no one takes him seriously,” Liberman said, a day after Ya’alon said the Yisrael Beytenu head would make a poor defense chief.

“We didn’t convince the Arabs — not Hamas, not Hezbollah, and not even the Americans,” Liberman accused. “He excelled mostly at verbal outbursts followed by running to apologize to the Americans.”

Liberman added that, overall, Ya’alon also failed to improve Israel’s defense situation.

“I don’t think that his behavior dealing with Hamas, Hezbollah, and the United States contributed to Israel’s honor, to our deterrence, and also not to IDF power.”

On Saturday, Liberman announced that he would demand the Defense portfolio as a precondition for joining any government formed after the March 17 elections.

In response, Ya’alon broadly hinted that Liberman was not suitable for the job.

At a news conference, Ya’alon said the post required a high level of knowledge and expertise. “The defense minister’s work involves effort,” the Likud MK said, according to Channel 2. “I think that security goes beyond the slogans. It’s routine work. Hard work. Responsible management and judgment.”

Liberman’s brief military service saw him rise to the rank of corporal, whereas Ya’alon served as IDF chief of General Staff.

Liberman made the comments as he prepared to petition the Supreme Court in Jerusalem for permission to hand out copies of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for free, in an electioneering stunt.

Last week the Central Elections Committee ruled against the Yisrael Beytenu party’s plan to distribute complimentary copies of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, saying such action constituted illegal gift-giving to voters.

Liberman said Saturday that he sought the Defense portfolio because he was dissatisfied with the way the government handled Operation Protective Edge in Gaza last summer — a criticism of Ya’alon, a former IDF chief of staff, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who set the strategy and managed the daily execution of the operation.

“Fifty days of war and they [Hamas] are still in power [in the Gaza Strip]? They continue to produce rockets, to build tunnels,” Liberman charged.

“Look at how the Jordanians responded to the killing of their pilot [at the hands of the Islamic State]. That’s how we should respond. This is the only way in the Middle East. There must be a strong response,” he added.

After the Islamic State released a gruesome video showing the burning alive of captive Jordanian pilot Muaz Kasasbeh, Jordan promptly executed two al Qaeda-linked prisoners and stepped up its airstrikes on IS targets as part of the US-led coalition against the group.

Recent polls suggest Yisrael Beytenu — which has been rocked by a corruption scandal in recent weeks — will gain four to six seats in the next Knesset, a marked decline from the 13 it holds in the outgoing parliament.