Leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, MK Avigdor Liberman, said on Thursday that he was concerned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would soon initiate an unnecessary military operation solely for election purposes, after the coalition submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset.
Liberman made the remarks during a visit to Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the southern communities bordering Gaza that was brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre.
He said that he had “every reason to be concerned that the prime minister of October 7, together with the submission of the bill to dissolve the Knesset, will initiate a military operation not intended to achieve victory, but intended solely for election purposes.”
There has been a recent crisis within Netanyahu’s coalition over the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft bill, which led both the opposition and the coalition to submit a bill to dissolve the Knesset.
Passage of the bill could move elections up to September or mid-October, instead of the currently scheduled date of October 27. The legislation is expected to be brought to a vote next week.
Meanwhile, MK Nissim Vaturi (Likud) said on Thursday that Israel was “closer than ever to a return to fighting against Iran” in a Kol Berama interview.
“If it were this coming weekend, I would still fly abroad; next week, I would think twice,” Vaturi added. He is also a member of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.
Liberman said that military officials also bore responsibility for ensuring an unnecessary operation was not initiated. “The lives of our soldiers are at stake. There must not be a military operation carried out solely for election purposes,” he added.
Liberman noted he hoped for an election soon, “perhaps already in September.”
“We will send this malevolent government, the government of October 7, home.”
Liberman then warned that Hamas was rearming in Gaza because Israel had failed to eliminate the terror group in previous rounds of war.
“The government of October 7 is lying to the residents of the Gaza border communities and to the citizens of the State of Israel. Before our eyes, we are seeing the beginning of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip without Hamas intending to disarm,” he said.
Hamas is recruiting new terrorists, training, and preparing
Liberman added that Hamas was recruiting new terrorists, training, and preparing for another round of fighting.
“The funding no longer comes through suitcases of cash, but through trucks arriving with the approval of the Israeli government. Hamas’s grip over the Strip has never been tighter than it is today,” he said.
“There can no longer be ceasefires or security buffer zones. It does not help. Just as we saw Hezbollah use the time to strengthen itself, Hamas is also growing stronger every day.”
Liberman has been a vocal critic of Netanyahu’s military policy, arguing that Israel has failed to achieve what he describes as a “decisive victory.”
Last week, Liberman launched a campaign calling for a decisive military outcome on all fronts, including against Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.
Yisrael Beytenu is one of the opposition parties seeking to replace Netanyahu in the upcoming elections. The party holds a hawkish security stance, supports expanding Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, advocates universal conscription (including drafting the haredi population), and strongly supports separating religion and state.
Sharon Sharabi, brother of former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi, recently joined Yisrael Beytenu ahead of the elections, along with wounded reserve soldier Capt. (res.) Israel Ben-Sheetrit. Both joined Liberman on the tour to Kibbutz Be’eri.
Liberman has served in several senior government positions, including defense minister, foreign minister, and finance minister. In 2018, he resigned as defense minister from Netanyahu’s government in protest over a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, following heavy rocket fire from Gaza toward Israel.