Finance Minister and Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be prevented from returning to power.
Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid announced their intention to dissolve the Knesset on Monday evening, triggering Israel's fifth snap election in just three years.
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Finance Minister and Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman
(Photo: Yoav Dudkevich)
"This is the result of intrigues, lies and subversion of one man - Benjamin Netanyahu," Liberman said at the Eli Horowitz Conference for Economy and Society in Jerusalem.
"During [Netanyahu's] tenure, the Mount Meron disaster happened, a year ago he surrendered to the ultimatum of Islamic Jihad during the Jerusalem flag march - everything is registered in his name."
Liberman added that preventing the former premier from returning to power was "the main" goal.
"If Netanyahu had really cared about the State of Israel, his camp and his party, he would have given up the leadership of the Likud party and the government, taking a time-out until the end of the legal proceedings against him," Liberman said, referring to Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial.
"Whoever takes care of himself and his family above country - all other interests are simply irrelevant... I say that in all respects this man must not return. We will do everything to prevent this from happening - and as soon as possible we will form a government that can act on behalf of the citizens of Israel.
"Political instability hurts the society, the economy and security," the finance minister added. "The multi-year defense budget plan has been halted yet again, and I estimate that the defense establishment has been operating without it for more than five years."
Liberman argued that the electoral system in Israel must change - but he does not believe that there is a majority in the Knesset to pass such a law. "In the end, the small parties always know how to blackmail the big ones and neutralize any initiative to ensure political stability."