Israeli cabinet approves Avigdor Lieberman's return as foreign mininster

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: Telegraph UK

Avigdor Lieberman, one of the most belligerent and uncompromising foreign ministers in Israel's history, is to return to his old job just as the country's ties with the outside world reach new levels of sensitivity over negotiations with the Palestinians and Iran's nuclear program me.

The Israeli cabinet voted on Sunday to reinstate Mr Lieberman, leader of the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, after his acquittal last week on corruption charges. His appointment is expected to be confirmed by the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Monday.

Mr Lieberman, 55, a burly former nightclub bouncer, stepped aside as Israel's leading diplomatic representative last December to contest fraud and breach of trust charges. He had been accused of promoting an ambassador who improperly tipped him off concerning a separate corruption police inquiry into his affairs .

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, agreed to keep the foreign minister's portfolio open for Mr Lieberman while he fought to clear his name. Mr Lieberman once served as Mr Netanyahu's chief-of-staff and is thought to have ambitions to succeed him in the top job.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/10439150/Israeli-cabinet-approves-Avigdor-Liebermans-return-as-foreign-mininster.html

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Isaac Herzog, a Labour parliamentarian, called Mr Lieberman "the worst foreign minister in Israel's history" and added: "I don't understand why he should be returned to power."

[Zeke L Brimstone]

1. The Call for (American) War With Iran Shall be Shortly Forthcoming

For once, I hope you Yanks don't answer.

[Jesus Malverde]

2. We can look forward to bombastic uneducated blathering..

“Liberman’s appointment is a danger to the State of Israel and its foreign relations, especially in a time of crisis in peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” Gal-On said, referring to Liberman’s hawkish positions and outspoken distrust of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to Gal-On, “Liberman is a persona non grata around the world, who, during his time as foreign minister, turned Israel into an outcast state. His appointment to the job will worsen Israel’s shaky relations with its allies and worsen its situation in the international community.”

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Government-expected-to-authorize-Liberman-as-FM-331070

[oberliner]

3. Agree with Isaac

Avigdor is dreadful.

[Jesus Malverde]

4. I've often felt these coalition governments are somewhat more representative of the people however..

This shows one of the drawbacks of such a system.

[LeftishBrit]

9. Both pure proportional representation and the total lack of it lead to unrepresentative governments

Lack of PR in multi-party systems tends to give a party power disproportionate to the actual vote. At the moment, the UK has a mainly-Tory government, led by a Prime Minister with 36% of the vote. Thatcher, in her biggest 'landslides' ruled with near-absolute power and no more than 44% of the vote!

But the other extreme is dreadful as well, and Israel is a good example of why. Small and nasty parties can hold governments to ransom.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Not good, not good

This is a sad day for human rights and world peace.

[Scootaloo]

6. Not even a little surprising n/t

[SolutionisSolidarity]

7. In keeping with American media guidelines, I celebrate the return of this gentle giant.

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

8. Two of the same turds...

Joe and Avigdor...

Both worthless and dangerous pieces of shits...

[LeftishBrit]

11. Avigdor is worse than Joe!

Like having Pat Buchanan as Secretary of State. Eugggghhh!

[LeftishBrit]

10. I don't understand why that ultra-hawkish loon is being returned to power either

He probably is the worst Foreign Minister in their history, and is unbelievably unsuitable for the post.

[Ash_F]

12. As they get more marginalized, they get more radical

Happened in South Africa too.

[hrmjustin]

13. Disappointing!

[Jesus Malverde]

14. Following Clinton's semi-ban, Kerry intends to turn over a new leaf with Lieberman

U.S. official says the U.S. intends to 'work well' with Lieberman in his second term as Israel's foreign minister.

It was June 18, 2009. Then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had just finished a meeting in Washington with Israel’s new foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman. The press conference after the meeting quickly turned into a public clash between the two, with Clinton calling on Israel to freeze construction of settlements and Lieberman letting her know that this would not happen.

Shortly thereafter, Clinton left her office on the seventh floor of the State Department and set out for a meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House. On the way, though, she stumbled and broke her right elbow. Of course Lieberman had nothing to do with the accident, but the joke around Washington those days was that Clinton’s fall was a good simile for the atmosphere at the meeting with the Israeli foreign minister.

To call relations between Clinton and Lieberman “chilly” would have been a compliment. Not only did Clinton oppose Lieberman’s positions and worldview; she took objection to him personally. Lieberman’s public support for Vladimir Putin after Russia's parliamentary elections in December 2011 only added fuel to the fire.

Consequently, Lieberman was practically an outcast in the State Department in Washington, not to mention the White House. In the three and a half years he was in office, he visited Washington twice, with more than two and a half years between the visits. Senior U.S. officials tried to persuade Clinton to change her policy toward Lieberman. They explained that unofficially boycotting him would only make him more extreme, and would turn him into a spoiler of any diplomatic efforts the United States would try to advance.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.557548