Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman
Defense Minister Avigdor LibermanMarc Israel Sellem/Fash90

Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman reacted to criticism against him yesterday after he made statements that he was willing to freeze building outside of “settlement blocs” in Judea and Samaria as part of agreements with the incoming US administration.

“We need to coordinate with the US to develop settlement,” Liberman said this morning, and attacked Deputy Foreign Mininster Tzipi Hotovely for statements she made against him yesterday. “If Tzipi Hotovely wouldn’t attack me, nobody would know she existed. It is unclear what she does at the foregin ministry.”

Addressing the passage in preliminary reading of the Regulation Law yesterday, Liberman said: “The people of Amona and Ofra are normative people who go by the law. It’s not their fault. Maybe we won’t find a solution - we can’t be delusional.”

Liberman also hinted an attack on Education Minister Naftali Bennett: “The attempt to spread catchphrases and all of the competition inside the right-wing camp is what caused damage. The Tehiya party brought down the Shamir governemnt - which led to Oslo, and Hanan Porat brought down Bibi - after which we got [Ehud] Barak.”

“I am a practical man,” Liberman said. “To my happiness, the Left has been completely erased, and I represent the practical Right, but there is also the Right of populism and catchphrases, and that doesn’t interest me. I respect Bennett and we each have our opinions, [but] you need to have patience. What’s the point of all the catchphrases if there’s no building?”

Liberman emphasized that he would obey the order of the Supreme Court on Amona. “There is no way I won’t obey the Supreme Court order, but we need to fight and try to find a solution. Maybe it’s impossible, and we can’t create expectations. Maybe we won’t find a solution, we can’t be delusional.”

Liberman qualified statements attributed to him yesterday, when he was quoted as saying that he was willing to freeze building outside of “settlement blocs.” “At the moment, everything is at the early stages. We have to lower profile and see the new government. But we can’t continue the ‘settlement enterprise’ without understanding from the American government - we have to come to a mutual understanding. I only said that, under the Bush administration, there had been an understanding regarding building in settlement blocs. My statements are not the PM’s, but he needs policies on the issue and needs to coordinate with the American administration.”