Israel politics: Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon resigns in protest

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon has resigned, warning that Israel has been taken over by “harmful and excessive components”.

It comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to convey hardliner Avigdor Lieberman into the coalition, presumably as defence minister.

The deal would shore up Mr Netanyahu’s one-seat majority in parliament.

Mr Lieberman has a repute for inflammatory feedback and takes a hawkish stand in the direction of the Palestinians.

If his six-seat Yisrael Beiteinu occasion joins the coalition, it’ll turn into essentially the most right-wing in Israel’s historical past.

Asserting his resolution on Twitter, Mr Yaalon stated: “I knowledgeable the PM that after his conduct and up to date developments, and given the shortage of religion in him, I’m resigning from the federal government and parliament and taking a break from political life.”

The 2 males had publicly disagreed after Mr Yaalon backed a senior navy determine who had made controversial remarks about perceived extremist traits in Israeli society on Holocaust Day earlier this month.

Proper-wing political figures have additionally criticised Mr Yaalon for backing a call to cost an Israeli soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian attacker in March, in a case which cut up opinion in Israel.

At a information convention on Friday, Mr Yaalon stated: “I fought with all my may towards manifestations of extremism, violence and racism in Israeli society, that are threatening its sturdiness and likewise trickling into the IDF [Israel Defence Forces], hurting it already,” Haaretz newspaper stories.

If Mr Lieberman’s appointment is confirmed, it’ll mark a return to authorities for the controversial politician who stepped down in 2012 when he was investigated for breach of belief. He was charged and later acquitted.

Moldovan-born Mr Lieberman, who lives in an Israeli settlement within the occupied West Financial institution, advocates a troublesome line in the direction of coping with the Palestinians, together with the overthrow of Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
France just lately introduced it will host a global convention on three June to attempt to revive Israel-Palestinian peace talks, which collapsed amid acrimony in 2014.