Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) said that there was no reason for Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's sudden resignation to prompt new elections. "Liberman was and remains a cynical politician," she said. "There is no citizen in the country who regrets his resignation. The most right-wing government can function without it. The public will not give credit to those who prefer political exercises to accumulate points over national considerations."