Israeli defense minister Moshe Yaalon announced Friday that he is resigning effective immediately, and on the way out blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was allegedly set to replace him with hawkish hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman.
Yaalon, who had served in the post since 2012, is part of Netanyahu’s Likud Party. He made his resignation announcement on social media, and later told reporters that “Israel is a healthy society with a sane majority” that has become to privy to extremism.
“To my great regret, I have recently found myself in difficult disputes over matters of principle and professionalism with the prime minister, a number of cabinet members and some lawmakers,” he said, reading from a statement at his Tel Aviv office.
“The State of Israel is patient and tolerant toward the weak among it and minorities. … But to my great regret extremist and dangerous elements have overrun Israel as well as the Likud party, shaking up our home and threatening harm to those in it,” he said. He added that he will return to politics in the future after this “timeout.”
Tensions between the two men have increased in recent months. One of their policy differences was Yaalon’s backing of Israel Defense Forces deputy chief Yair Golan, who has come under fire for recent comments. In another instance, Netanyahu publicly supported a soldier who shot dead a Palestinian knife-wielding attacker who was already severely wounded, and Yaalon did not.
Reports indicating Netanyahu’s intention to appoint Lieberman to the post have been met with mixed reactions. Netanyahu said Friday he had offered the foreign minister post to Yaalon, but he refused.
“The reshuffle in portfolios did not result from a crisis in faith between us. It resulted from the need to expand the government so as to bring stability to the State of Israel given the great challenges it faces,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. “I reckon that had [he] not been asked to leave the Defense Ministry, he would not have quit.”
U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Washington looks forward to working with Yaalon’s successor. “Our bonds of friendship are unbreakable and our commitment to the security of Israel remains absolute,” Kirby said Friday.
If Lieberman were to replace Yaalon, his Beitenu Party would give Netanyahu’s government control over 67 of parliament’s 120 seats; they currently have a slim majority of 61.
