Israel’s defense minister Moshe Ya’alon was replaced by one of the most extreme politicians in Israel: Avigdor Liberman. The rift between Ya’alon and Netanyahu seems irreconcilable. Right from the start, Ya’alon supported the IDF prosecutors who charged Elor Azaray with the murder that caused an outcry in Israel. A right-wing crowd proclaimed Azaray “King of Israel”. Netanyahu distanced himself from Ya’alon. Azaray executed a helpless heavily wounded Palestinian in cold blood at point-blank range. The other incident that made Netanyahu furious was Ya’alon’s defense of deputy of the chief of general staff Yair Golan for his courageous speech in which he mentioned similarities between the rise of fascism in the 1930s in Germany and Israel. Ya’alon encouraged his generals to speak out on moral issues.
Although Ya’alon is a veteran Likudnik, he still has kept his liberal viewpoints. In his resignation speech in Tel Aviv he expressed his deep concern about Israeli society. At the beginning of his harsh verdict of Netanyahu, he stressed the harmonious cooperation with Netanyahu, especially during “Operation Protective Edge” in which the Israeli army massacred over 2100 Palestinians, many of them women and children.
After these kind words, Ya’alon gave a startling analysis of Israeli society in general and on the current government in particular. To his regret, Ya’alon found himself “in deep disagreement over professional and ethical issues with the prime minister, a number of ministers and a few members of Knesset. I have fought with all my strength against radicalization, violence and racism in Israeli society, which threatens its resilience and percolates also into the IDF, already causing it harm.” He also resisted the attacks on the Supreme Court and Israeli judges by members of the Netanyahu cabinet. Both will cause great damage to the rule of law and could have disastrous consequences for Israel.
Ya’alon thinks that Israel is a “healthy society” and the majority is sane and seeks a “Jewish, democratic state” that accepts each person as a person. Israel has the duty to protect and embrace minorities and not to “incite” against them. “But to my great regret, extremist, and dangerous forces have taken over Israel and the Likud movement and are destabilizing our home and threatening to harm its inhabitants.”
He fears a division among Israelis caused by “cynicism and lust for power” that could be critical for the country and future generations. And he continued, saying: “I do not regret whatsoever thesis professional and ethical views, even if they have led to the end of my time as defense minister. I am comfortable with my path and will not turn away from it. I am afraid for Israel’s future, and will continue in this struggle going forward because we have no other country.” He has lost faith in Netanyahu, and Ya’alon exposed the moral bareness of Netanyahu to the whole world.
Avigdor Liberman is not a military man. He has no credentials whatsoever. As a former bouncer, he behaves like a Rambo and shoots from the hip. For years, he has been calling for the expulsion of Palestinians. Palestinians who are disloyal to Israel should have their heads chopped off. “Anyone who’s with us should be given everything – up to half the kingdom. Anyone who’s against us, there’s nothing to do – we should raise an ax and cut off his head; otherwise, we will not survive here.” Years ago, he called for the bombing of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt.
Netanyahu has chosen the most unpredictable, unreliable and dangerous man for the most crucial and sensitive position. It’s easy to predict that the Israeli security establishment and especially the military will not accept Liberman as their commander-in-chief. Amir Peretz, the dovish ex-Labor Party leader who was also a non-General defense minister, failed miserably. The self-proclaimed “most moral army in the world” could not have gotten a better man at the helmet than Liberman. He will be the guy who is going to expose this fantasy as a myth.