After resigning as defense chief, Liberman launches election campaign

After resigning as defense minister, Avigdor Liberman launches the national election campaign for his Yisrael Beytenu party.

“The party is preparing to increase its power in elections for the Knesset, similar to the substantial increasing of its power in municipal elections” last month, the party says in a statement.

The announcement is made at an event in Jerusalem where Liberman redesignates the party’s municipal election office as its Knesset election headquarters.

Liberman stepped down as defense minister in protest of a ceasefire to end fighting in the Gaza Strip and called for early elections to be held.

Though the governing coalition maintains a one-seat majority without Yisrael Beytenu, Liberman’s decision to return the party to the opposition benches has raised the likelihood an early vote will be called.