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Israel’s Ultranationalist Defense Minister |
| By
Stephen Lendman |
| Avigdor Lieberman represents the worst of Ziofascist Israeli governance.
As defense minister, he’s a major threat to regional peace. In his youth, he was a Kach party member, an adherent of extremist rabbi Meir Kahane’s ideology, believing Israeli Arab citizens represent a fifth column threat, enemies of Israel. Before emigrating from Moldova in 1978, he was a nightclub bouncer. Hebrew University Professor Zeev Sternhell once called him “perhaps the most dangerous politician in the history of the state of Israel.” An unnamed Meretz party member once said “(i)f you liked Mussolini, if you were missing Stalin, you’ll love Lieberman.” As foreign minister in November 2014, he called for transferring Israeli Arab citizens by offering them “economic incentives.” He expressed willingness to provide free transportation for any willing to leave. He believes any agreement with Palestinians must include “territorial and population exchanges with Israeli Arabs.” Israeli Wadi Ara region is populated mainly by Arab citizens, located northwest of the Green Line in the Haifa District. Following days of protests after Trump’s Jerusalem declaration, Lieberman said Wadi Ara residents “are not welcome here. (They) do not belong to the state of Israel. They are not part of us.” “So I am calling for a boycott of Wadi Ara. Don’t go there and don’t buy there. They need to understand that it is impossible to demonstrate with Hezbollah flags, Palestinian flags and pictures of (Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan) Nasrallah. To accept billions from the National Insurance (Institute) and to also destroy us from within.” Arab Joint List MK Ayman Odeh responded to Lieberman, saying he’s “a representative of the dark fascist regime of Netanyahu’s extreme right-wing government.” “The call to boycott citizens just because of their national and religious origin reminds one of the darkest regimes in human history. The thought that such a person is responsible for the security of the country should worry every rational citizen.” Hadash party leader Mohammed Barakeh, said “every protest by the Arab community is considered a security incident. I did not see tear gas grenades” at demonstrations by Jews. Protests against Trump’s Jerusalem declaration continued on Sunday. Early reports said Israeli soldiers attacked al-‘Arroub refugee camp residents near Hebron, mainly children marching peacefully, demonstrating against the US president, calling for Palestinian liberation. Area homes were invaded, ransacked, searched, and vandalized soldiers occupying their rooftops, perhaps as snipers. Separately on Saturday night, tens of thousands of Israelis participated in another “march of shame,” protesting against Netanyahu corruption in Tel Aviv and Haifa, BDS activists joining them, calling on attorney general Avichai Mendelblit to prosecute the prime minister for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. His crimes were discussed in earlier articles - so far nothing done to hold him accountable. VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html |