BICOM

Israel’s new defence minister spoke in conciliatory terms yesterday, his first day in office, in what appeared to be an attempt to assuage the concerns of those who have criticised his appointment.

Avigdor Lieberman reviewed troops at the defence headquarters in Tel Aviv, before meeting with the IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and the General Staff. Lieberman’s appointment was finally approved by a Knesset vote on Monday, following days of political wrangling. He thanked his predecessor Moshe Ya’alon, who resigned from the Knesset, when Lieberman’s imminent appointment became clear. According to the Defence Ministry, they agreed to “convene an orderly handover meeting”.

In a further statement, Lieberman shared his outlook on his new role, with critics having pointed to his paucity of military experience and perceived hard-line views on a number of issues. He explained: “We don’t have the luxury of conducting a war out of choice. We are only able to conduct wars when there is no choice.”

Lieberman added that there would need to be wide public consensus over any future conflict, and said: “As a democracy, issues relating to war and peace must carry the will and support of the large majority of people and must not rely on a single vote in the Knesset.”

Lieberman also outlined as a key principle that “when there is a conflict between the unity of the nation or unity of the land, unity of the people is of greater importance.” Lieberman has previously said that would be willing to leave his own home in the West Bank community of Nokdim, for the sake of peace.

On Monday, following his swearing in as defence minister, Lieberman reiterated support for a two-state solution and said that the “Arab [Peace] Initiative… has some very, very positive elements that enable a serious dialogue with all our neighbours in the region.” The initiative is a Saudi-spearheaded plan, offering a pan-Arab rapprochement with Israel in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state.