The last round of U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down in 2014 and U.S., European Union and United Nations officials have become increasingly uncertain about whether Mr. Netanyahu is committed to a two-solution to the conflict.
Advertisement
Lieberman’s spokesman Tzachi Moshe said on Wednesday that Yisrael Beitenu party, headed by Lieberman, and Netanyahu’s conservative Likud would sign the deal at 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Wednesday.
A deal has been reached to bring far-right former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party into Israel’s governing coalition pushing it further to the right, negotiators said Wednesday.
“Such a decision is extremely unsafe – Lieberman, who has called for the beheading of Palestinians and for their transfer outside the state of Israel, is a serious threat to peace and stability, and his appointment will generate a culture of lawlessness, extremism, violence and hate in Israel”.
Netanyahu had earlier engaged in negotiations with Labour party leader Isaac Herzog to join the government before turning to Lieberman instead. Israel Radio says that they eventually agreed to increases for all pensioners, but at an amount less than Lieberman originally demanded.
Palestinian officials said that with Lieberman, who lives in a settlement in the occupied West Bank, back in the cabinet prospects for reviving statehood negotiations that collapsed in 2014 had grown dimmer.
A late-night meeting took place in Jerusalem, including Lieberman, Kahlon and Netanyahu. “We will continue to pursue every avenue for peace, while ensuring the safety and security of our citizens”. The Palestinian president’s adviser promptly denounced the appointment, saying Lieberman was a “fascist minister” who will promote settlements. At one point, he called for bombing Egypt’s Aswan Dam and suggested toppling the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
Since winning a fourth term in office previous year, Mr Netanyahu has said he would explore bringing a sixth party into his coalition to widen its majority in parliament.
But Lieberman’s biggest troubles could come at home with the army.
Lieberman, a controversial and deeply divisive figure, replaces the popular former chief of staff Moshe Yaalon, who was pushed out last week as Netanyahu moved to expand his wafer-thin majority.
Advertisement
In March, military leaders criticized a soldier who was caught on video fatally shooting an already-wounded Palestinian attacker in the head and he is now on trial for manslaughter.
