A left turn? Actually, there's nothing new about Avigdor Liberman - by Dr. Aaron Lerner

Last night PM Netanyahu charged that Avigdor Liberman is "now" part of the left after forcing snap elections for the second time. In truth - Liberman has ALWAYS been left! Here is something I wrote over two years ago:

Dr. Aaron Lerner..
IMRA..
30 May '19..
Link: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=73518





Weekly Commentary: Liberman Consistent: Border Inferior to pre- '67, 3rd
Party-Based Security, Multiple Sovereignties
Dr. Aaron Lerner 15 March, 2017

There's nothing new about Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman's positions.

From the very start of his political career he has advocated:

#1. Redrawing Israel's borders to remove large Arab communities. The resulting lines would be militarily inferior to the terrible pre-'67 border. While Liberman promises the move would dramatically reduce the Arab population inside Israel this assertion ignores that the affected Israeli Arabs could opt to change their official place of residence to a location remaining inside Israel and/or successfully challenge their unilateral loss of Israeli citizenship in the Supreme Court.

#2. Relying on third parties for security. In his 2004 book, "My Truth" he proposed that Jordanian and Egyptian security forces take responsibility for the West Bank and Gaza Strip respectively. Later he proposed that NATO forces be deployed.

#3. The West Bank and Gaza Strip not being within a non-Israeli sovereignty envelope. Again - either Jordan and Egypt or simply Palestinian sovereignty.

Each of these key features of Liberman's positions is radically different from those of the national camp in general and Binyamin Netanyahu in particular.


In point of fact, many of the top people who served as ministers in his party over the years did not agree with these ideas.

The truth is that no one really cared because there was no chance that any of the ideas were actually going to be implemented within the relevant time frame (before the next elections).

Has the situation changed?

Hopefully not.

There is however one concern, and that is the potential damage that Liberman can do as a defense minister advocating relying on third parties for our security.

My fear is that the Trump team may cite Liberman's stand to push Israel to compromise on Netanyahu's red line that the IDF must have security control over the area of any Palestinian entity.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis: Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations
Website: www.imra.org.il

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. 

.