שר הביטחון אביגדור ליברמן

Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman was officially sworn in as Israel's Defense Minister Tuesday afternoon, at a special ceremony at the IDF's central "Kiriya" base in Tel Aviv.

Despite the controversy surrounding the appointment - in particular the decision by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to replace former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon - Liberman's predecessor said he had spoken with his successor and wished him success in his new role.

"I wished him luck in his role. We have arranged a handover meeting between us," Ya'alon stated on Twitter.

Following his official appointment, Liberman held his first working meeting with top defense ministry officials, followed by a meeting with IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and other IDF top brass.