Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s resignation yesterday sparked debates not only about the fate of the country's current ruling coalition but also about the future of Israeli-Russian relations — especially when it comes to Syria.
Born in the former Soviet Union in what is currently the Republic of Moldova and fluent in Russian, Liberman leads the right-wing party Yisrael Beitenu and has had a reputation as an advocate for stronger relations with Moscow. His party is popular among Jews from the former Soviet Union who made “aliyah” — or homecoming — to Israel in 1990s. Liberman, a controversial politician who has frequently received serious backlash from left-wing parties and human rights organizations for his hateful rhetoric against Arabs, had significant success in the 2009 elections when Yisrael Beitenu won 15 seats in the Knesset and went on to become the second largest party after Likud.
