Avigdor Liberman enters Defense Ministry for first time as boss

Newly appointed Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman is welcomed to the ministry by an honor guard attended by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot.

Liberman was sworn in yesterday after the Knesset approved his appointment 55-43. He was appointed to the position as part of a coalition deal to being his five-seat Yisrael Beytenu into the government.

Despite his having served 17 years as a Knesset member, six years as foreign minister and two years as strategic affairs minister, some have questioned his defense credentials, as he had only reached the rank of corporal during his two years of army service in the Artillery Corps.

Liberman succeeds former chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon as defense minister. Following Netanyahu’s decision to appoint Liberman, Ya’alon announced that he would be resigning from the Knesset and temporarily retiring from politics.