Palestinians get ready for hard-line Liberman as defense minister
The appointment of ultranationalist Avigdor Liberman as Israel's defense minister sparked outrage among Palestinians, who already regard President Benjamin Netanyahu's government as one of the most extreme in Israel’s history.
Palestinians did not need the appointment on May 25 of Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beitenu, as defense minister to be convinced that the government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu since May 15, 2015, is the most right-wing and extreme in the history of Israel. Under this government, which brought together different religious and nationalist parties, the peace negotiations stopped, settlements expanded and the Jerusalem intifada erupted in October 2015.
Liberman’s appointment sparked several Palestinian reactions. While Hamas deemed his appointment as a sign of increasing racism and extremism in Israel, Fatah said the appointment is like a bugaboo scaring Palestinians given the empty threats he makes in the media. For its part, Islamic Jihad stressed that Liberman's appointment is proof of the rising fascism among Israeli leaders.
