Top 10 Facts about Avigdor Lieberman

Top 10 Facts about Avigdor Lieberman

Avigdor Lieberman when serving as Israel Defence Minister, in Washington, D.C., March 7, 2017. Photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jette Carr. Wikimedia

Avigdor Lieberman is an Israel Soviet-born politician and the current  Israel Finance Minister, whose parents migrated from Russia, he has served on two occasions as Israel’s deputy prime minister, a minister of foreign affairs, and the defense minister.

He has been active in Israel politics spanning over two decades and has held various positions at the Knesset and in party politics.

He was born Evet Lvovich Lieberman to a Russian-speaking Jewish family in Kishinev, Soviet Union. He later upon migration to Israel changed to Avigdor Lieberman.

1 Born to a Russian Speaking Jewish Family

He was born on 5 June 1958, Lvovich Lieberman to a Russian-speaking Jewish family in Kishinev, Soviet Union. They lived in a small town in Moldova, where almost everyone depicted some Jewish cultural heritage or origin

2 Young Lieberman had a Great passion for Russian Literature

In his early school years, he had a  great passion for Russian literature, mainly influenced by his father who was a lover of literature, and even went ahead to win a Russian Classics playwright contest.

Lieberman, who inherited a love of Russian literature from his father, dreamed of becoming a poet as a student in Moldova, his passion for Russian literary classics was so deep that he won first prize for a play he wrote.

3 He Immigrated to Israel at the age of 20 and Served in IDF for One year

His family immigrated to Israel on 18 June 1978 when Lieberman was 20 and immediately enrolled to  study Hebrew at an ulpan and changed his first name to Avigdor

He was conscripted into the Israel Defense Forces and was only obligated to do one year of active service instead of three, during his service he was deployed to serve in the IDF military government in Hebron.

 4 He studied International Relations and Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

After his discharge from the military, he enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in international relations and political science from the University of Jerusalem.

During his campus days, he was actively involved with a violent anti-Arab student group in Likud Party “Kastel.”

His involvement in the group informs his combative nature in the political circles and how his ideology on the proposed plan for the Arab-Israel conflict resolution was developed.

5 He horned his political career under the wings of Benjamin Netanyahu

His alignment with Israeli politician Benjamin Netanyahu in 1988, and in masterminding Netanyahu’s successful campaign in 1993 for the Likud party leadership. When Netanyahu first became prime minister three years later, he appointed Lieberman as director-general of the prime minister’s office.

Lieberman left Likud after a falling out with Netanyahu, and in 1999 Lieberman founded a new political party-Yisrael Beiteinu.

6 He resigned from Likud Party to form his Party- Yisrael Beiteinu

He was among the founding members of the Zionist forum for the Jewish community known as, the Zionist Forum for Soviet Jewry,  which drew its membership from the Jewish community that had migrated to Israel from Russia and the soviet union.

This community would later serve as a launching base for his political career and an independent party Yisrael Beiteinu in 1999 when he left the Likud party. The party won 4 seats in the 120-seat Knesset (parliament) in the 1999 national election.

7 He is the most controversial politician to have ever served and resigned as Deputy Prime Minister on two occasions 

Avigdor Lieberman, Deputy Prime minister, and Foreign Affairs Minister Meets Hillary Clinton 16th July 2012.Photo By United States Department of State. Wikimedia

He has served as deputy prime minister on two occasions one under prime minister Ehud Olmert between 2006 and 2008  and the second from 2009 to 2012 under Benjamin Netanyahu.

He served as Israel’s Foreign Minister from the year 2009 to 2012  and from 2013 to 2015 his reign as foreign minister was marred by his controversy and hard-liner position including the opposition to the Annapolis Conference implementation. Which saw him break away from the government in 2013.

In May 2016 Yisrael Beiteinu agreed to join Netanyahu’s coalition. As part of the agreement, Lieberman took over the position of minister of defense.

His appointment dismayed centrists, who worried that Lieberman’s bellicose statements and outspoken opposition to pursuing peace with the Palestinians would harm Israeli diplomacy.

In late 2018 he resigned from his post after Netanyahu agreed to reinstate a cease-fire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, just one day after the most intense cross-border skirmishes in years had broken out.

8 He stood a chance of being the kingmaker in the April 2019  to 2020 elections

In the 2019  elections, Lieberman stood a chance to be a kingmaker, however due to his insistence on ending conscription exemptions for the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews, which was an unpopular stance.

There was no compromise reached, and new elections were set for September, he again found himself playing the same role again, however, he insisted that he would only support a unity government that included both Netanyahu’s Likud and its main challenger saw him lose again.

A new election was held in March 2020, and Lieberman gave tacit support to Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to form a government. but due to the  COVID-19 pandemic, Gantz chose to form an emergency unity government under Netanyahu, he was left out of that government.

9 He is known to harbor controversial opinions on the Israel -Palestine Conflict

Avigdor Lieber man is known for holding various extreme positions regarding the way the Israel-Palestine conflict is handled and among them is a settlement proposal known as the Lieberman Plan.

He unveiled this plan in May 2004 as a  proposal to end the Israel-Palestine conflict where he explored a proposed exchange of populated areas and separation of Israel Arab Citizenry depending on their loyalty to the state of Israel.

His plan was turned down by Ariel  Sharon’s government subsequently leading to his dismissal from the cabinet.

10   He has been with Both Assault and Corruption Charges

Lieberman was charged in a  Jerusalem District Court on 24th September 2001 for assaulting a 12-year-old minor,  where he pleaded guilty for the offense committed in the year 1999 as a retaliation to protect his son. The court ruled that he pays a child a compensation of fee of 10,000 shekels and an additional fine of 7,500 shekels.

Liberman was accused in 2012 of various mis-demur as a member of Knesset and as a minister among them a breach of trust, various corruption, and witness tampering but the state prosecutor only preferred, charges of fraud, corruption, and money laundering against him leading to his resignation he was later on 6th November 2013 acquitted of all the charges.

Avigdor Lieberman is described by political analysts  as, a tough talking Israel nationalist, a power broker and the man to watch in Israel politics.