US Nervous About Avigdor Lieberman as New Israeli Defense Minister

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the new Israeli government with hardline Avigdor Lieberman as Defense Minister raised “legitimate questions” about Israeli government policy but said the US will judge Israel based on its actions. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu signed the deal which brings five members of Lieberman’s six seat faction into the government, increasing Netanyahu’s majority to a comfortable 66 out of 120 Knesset members. It is not yet a done deal, however, as another hardliner Naftali Bennet says his party will not approve the new government unless there are changes in how the security cabinet functions. Israeli analysts say that in the end, Bennet will get what he wants, and the agreement will be approved, paving the way for Lieberman to be sworn in as Defense Minister next week. In the past, Lieberman, who lives in a West Bank community called Nokdim, has called for the assassination of leaders of the Islamist Hamas movement, and loyalty oaths for Arab citizens of Israel. At the swearing-in ceremony, Netanyahu took a conciliatory tone, saying his government is committed to pursuing peace with the Palestinians.