Liberman slams Katz: 'He's not a defense minister - he needs a bang on the head'

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman sharply attacked Defense Minister Israel Katz in an interview with 103FM, following a video Katz published ahead of the Likud primaries. Liberman called on Netanyahu to fire Katz, claiming he is acting for the primaries and not for security, and criticized the lack of backing for the Chief of Staff. He also warned of the new Sunni alliance and set a goal to replace the government.

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman on Tuesday morning sharply attacked Defense Minister Israel Katz in an interview with 103FM, following the latest video Katz published ahead of the Likud primaries. In the interview, Liberman said Katz's conduct harms diplomatic efforts and the IDF, and claimed he would expect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to fire the defense minister. "I would expect that the first announcement after the stupid video of the defense minister... should have been an announcement about firing the defense minister," he said. "Instead, we only hear that the political echelon backs all those who attack the Chief of Staff." He added, "I think he needs a bang on the head. This is not a defense minister who cares about security; this is a defense minister who acts solely for the primaries and Likud central committee members." Liberman also attacked the criticism voiced against the Chief of Staff, claiming the government does not give him the needed backing. "Not giving backing to the Chief of Staff, a Chief of Staff you brought and appointed - such madness never existed," he said. He added that the issue of equality in the burden is, in his view, an integral part of Israel's ability to face security challenges. "People fail to internalize that without equality in the burden there is no victory on the battlefield, no economic growth, and no future for us," he said. He also said action should be taken through cutting allowances and support for those who do not serve. He further criticized statements about the Chief of Staff: "Every day we hear a new declaration that there is a political Chief of Staff - it's madness that the Prime Minister and Defense Minister don't stop." Liberman also referred to the emerging military alliance between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, warning that Israel must take developments in the region seriously. "We must treat carefully everything they offer us and take seriously what we see on the ground," he said. "The new Sunni alliance of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey is another failure of the October 7 government." Liberman noted that the three countries declared the alliance is not directed against Iran, but he said other statements were heard from elements in Pakistan. He added that the possibility of Egypt joining the alliance raises, in his view, additional questions for Israel. Liberman also attacked the government's policy and its conduct toward the military echelon. "Netanyahu is getting more and more entangled," he said. "There is a government here that is ruining every good thing, failed in every area. It doesn't matter if it's foreign relations or security." He said, "Three years of war and no decision on any front. In Gaza, we are returning exactly to the starting point." Liberman claimed that instead of supporting the Chief of Staff and the army, elements close to the Prime Minister attack him. "There are achievements thanks to the IDF, and instead of supporting the Chief of Staff, every day we hear a new declaration from various associates of the Prime Minister that there is a political Chief of Staff, who acts for the left and against the government," he said. "It's madness that the Prime Minister and Defense Minister don't stop." He said the main responsibility lies with the political echelon. "This is first and foremost a resounding failure of the political echelon; for us, the IDF is subordinate to the political echelon. This is a personal failure of the Prime Minister," he claimed. Ahead of the elections, Liberman also addressed relations between opposition parties and attempts to form a bloc that could replace the government. "There will be no intrigues," he promised. "Everyone understood what he needs to do and what his contribution is for victory." Liberman specifically referred to Yair Golan and his efforts among the Arab public. "When I see Yair Golan dealing with the Arab sector, that's exactly what he needs to do," he said. "I prefer that for now the votes in the Arab sector go to Yair Golan." He said the goal is to increase the strength of the opposition bloc: "There will be no dramas here. We will know how to win big and also get along after the elections." Regarding the possibility of a government with Golan's party, Liberman said: "I think he is," and added that he wants a Zionist and statehood government that advocates equality for all. Regarding Ra'am, he said it cannot be a potential partner for him, because in his view it is a sectoral party. "We must have a statehood coalition, not a sectoral one," he said. At the end of his remarks, Liberman set two personal and political goals: "The first goal right now is to replace the October 7 government. We will know how to get along after the elections. I have two goals. One is to replace the government, and the second is to be prime minister - and in that order." Liberman also warned against the splitting of votes among small parties, which he claims could harm the opposition bloc. "Anyone who votes for Ardan and Yuli is choosing Netanyahu as prime minister," he said, referring to parties that he says are not expected to pass the electoral threshold. He added that other parties, he says, may also fail to pass the threshold, and claimed that the multiplicity of parties could cause a loss of seats in the bloc. "We already saw that because of that dispersion and multiplicity of parties we lost elections," he said. "Here there is also responsibility on the voter."