Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor LibermanMiriam Alster/Flash 90

Former Likud MK Ayoub Kara, who is running for a spot on the Likud list in next week's primary, told Arutz Sheva in an interview Thursday that the main issue in the upcoming elections is the stark contrast between the “clear right” and the “clear left.”

While social and economic issues have so far taken much of the spotlight, the security issues were much more important, and in time the electorate would place them in the proper perspective, he said.

“Moshe Kahlon is trying to portray this election as one based on social concerns, which makes sense because he has nothing to offer in security matters,” said Kara, who is a member of Israel's Druze minority.

Yair Lapid was trying to do the same, and would meet the same fate with voters as Kahlon. “Anyone with eyes in their head sees the situation that surrounds us – ISIS, Hezbollah, and Hamas all understand that peace has not broken out yet. Israel is not Norway, and our existence is increasingly and continually threatened. We do not have the luxury of acting as if everything is OK.

“Everyone understands that withdrawing from land will yield us nothing but a 'red carpet' at the 'peace treaty' signing ceremony,” said Kara. “Israelis know exactly what they have gotten from previous withdrawals, and they are beginning to realize that this election needs to be about strong security leadership.”

That leadership would certainly not come from defense tyros like Yitzhak Herzog or Tzipi Livni of Labor – and it would not come from Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu, either, despite his “tough” reputation, asserted Kara.

“It is no secret that Liberman is really a leftist. The fact that he has not declared who he would support for Prime Minister testifies to this. I think he is part of a plan to stop the right-wing from leading the country. I am definitely not surprised by his behavior.”