Liberman lambasts Israel's cabinet: This is not how to run a war

In a fiery interview, MK Liberman criticized the conduct of the war cabinet, claiming that members are engaging in struggles for power and ego.

The government has reached exhaustion," Liberman said. (photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The government has reached exhaustion," Liberman said.
(photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Chairman of Yisrael Beytenu, MK Avigdor Liberman, spoke with Ben Caspit and Aryeh Eldad on their show on 103FM on Wednesday evening and commented on the latest security developments.

"The war cabinet is unable to make decisions," he said. "Everything there is a struggle for power and ego; that's not how you run a war."

He continued, noting that "There are no decisions being made; I see Gadi Eisenkot's document which states - 'For three months no decisions are made, the goals of the operation were not achieved nor partially achieved.' I remember that among the goals of the war was also operational control, which we were supposed to achieve in January. We have no operational control in Gaza."

"Hamas still controls Gaza. We control places where there are IDF soldiers. With four brigades, it is impossible to achieve operational control in the Gaza Strip."

Liberman discusses former role as defense minister

Liberman later referred to the F-35 deal with the United States, saying: "Israel cannot continue to rely only on the air force. When I left the Defense Ministry, I had the intention of establishing a missile force. In order to attack the Houthis and all kinds of militias that launch missiles at us, we will need dozens of planes in the air. The air force needs to do a house check on itself, to what extent it will be able to withstand a severe attack by tens, hundreds, and maybe even thousands of missiles."

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu covenes Israel's war cabinet on Thursday, January 25, 2024 (credit: AMOS BEN-GERSHOM/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu covenes Israel's war cabinet on Thursday, January 25, 2024 (credit: AMOS BEN-GERSHOM/GPO)

Regarding the assassination in Damascus that was attributed to Israel, he noted: "The region is going to heat up significantly. We don't know where, when, or how they will react, but if I were the defense minister today, the first thing I would think about is the possibility of an escalation."

"The Iranians will not give up. They won't be embarrassed, and we have to remain very alert and vigilant. We know the Iranians. There is no such scenario that they are going to give up or absorb this incident," he concluded.