Mr. Avigdor Lieberman, minister of defense, responded to questions posed by Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amos Yadlin. In response questions about Hezbollah’s building of missiles in Lebanon, and the possible need for boots on the ground, Defense Minister Lieberman stated that Israel is determined and ready. Lieberman emphasized the need to include not just Hezbollah, but also Lebanon and Syria as part of the Northern Front. Israel will end any flare up in the north as fast as possible with a decisive victory. If given the choice, it’s better not to have soldiers on the ground, but Israel must be ready for that. In response to a question about the deal with Iran, Lieberman agreed it is a bad deal, stating that it gave legitimacy to Iran’s nuclear program, its military plans, and its missile development. This deal put the Middle East into the nuclear weapons race. Lieberman emphasized that Iran is a threat to the entire world, not just Israel, and Israel must convince the international community of this.
As for the relations with the Palestinians, Defense Minister Lieberman stated that Abu Mazen is not interested in any agreement, and he has dragged his feet for many years. He uses a strategy of wearing Israel down with a long and never-ending procedure. Lieberman stated that Israel needs to manage the conflict and reach a long-term interim agreement.
When asked which kind of settlement would be fair and just, Lieberman responded that he believed that the main thing preventing an agreement with the Palestinians is the gap in GDP between Israel and the Palestinians, and that Abu Mazen has been preventing economic stability, which is an Israeli security interest.
When asked what Lieberman would like to see in a settlement, he stated that Israel’s conflict is with the Arab world, the Palestinians, and the Israeli Arabs. He would like a package-deal kind of settlement. He mentioned wanting an Israeli embassy in every moderate Arab state, open skies between Israel and the Arab world, and he emphasized that Israeli Arab citizens must show loyalty to Israel by serving in the army.
When asked who gives orders in the IDF, the commanders or the rabbis, the defense minister insisted that there was no dilemma there, and any rabbi who tries to undermine this reality would not be allowed in the IDF.
When asked about a personal moment when he needed to make a difficult decision and when he was moved, Lieberman responded that he was very moved when he became defense minister, as a new immigrant who had come to Israel with nothing. As for difficult decisions, as the defense minister, he must make them every day.