Liberman says his party’s Druze MK should serve as next national security minister

By Sam Sokol 18 May 2026, 3:32 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Yisrael Beytenu party head MK Avigdor Lieberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on May 18, 2026. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Addressing reporters ahead of his Yisrael Beytenu party’s weekly faction meeting in the Knesset, Avigdor Liberman announces that he intends to support Druze MK Hamad Amar as his party’s candidate for national security minister in the next government.

“When we return to power, we will wage a total war against the criminal organizations,” Liberman says, warning that “it is only a matter of time before armed militias join the terrorists of [Hamas] Nukhba and the criminal organizations in the north join Hezbollah. Already today, there is cooperation between them in drug [smuggling]. We must wage a struggle against criminal organizations just as we fight against terrorism.”

He also calls for the establishment of special courts to deal with extortion and protection schemes as well as increased sentences of at least 12 years for those collecting protection money.

“Regardless of the identity of the next prime minister, the next minister of internal security will be MK Hamad Amer,” Liberman pledges.

Liberman also slams Arab party leaders, arguing that if Arab voters want to see progress in the fight against crime, they should “vote for Zionist parties.”

“You voted for Arab parties all the time, they didn’t deal with this, it doesn’t interest them. All they care about is Hamas and a Palestinian state,” he adds.

Asked about his ongoing contacts with Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot, Liberman doubles down on his recent criticism of the former IDF chief of staff over his willingness to entertain a coalition including Haredim, stating that “regarding our platform, we will not enter any negotiations.”

“Anyone who is not ready for conscription for everyone, without any tricks and without even a single exemption, I have nothing to talk about with them,” he says, referring to Eisenkot’s statement during a weekend visit to Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market that he would be open to sitting with the ultra-Orthodox parties.