Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is under fire from critics, who accuse him of having crossed all red lines. Opponents of the Prime Minister explain that his willingness to oust Moshe Ya’alon from the Defense Ministry only to replace him with Avigdor Lieberman simply shows just how badly Mr. Netanyahu wishes to remain in office.

A Walla Poll taken among Jews and Arabs clearly shows the majority of the nation prefers to see Moshe Ya’alon serving as Defense Minister instead of Avigdor Lieberman. Nevertheless, a deal to replace Ya’alon with Lieberman does appear imminent according to information leaked to the media by those involved in the negotiations.

Critics explain that Ya’alon spent his life in the IDF and rose to the rank of chief of staff and even if one does not agree with him, one must respect his level of expertise while the same cannot be said for Lieberman, who was a corporal in the IDF.

It is however pointed out that Amir Peretz, who was only a captain in the IDF, became Israel’s Defense Minister during the period of the Second Lebanon War. However, he was compelled to resign along with Chief of Staff Dan Halutz due to their colossal failures linked to them.

With Israel having to deal with terrorism and hostile neighbors on a number of borders, most voters believe the Defense Minister must be a person who at the very least served as a senior IDF officer, having attained the rank of brigadier-general.

Adding to the criticism against Netanyahu is the fact that he has totally ignored Defense Minister Ya’alon, negotiating with Lieberman to gain a number of seats in the coalition towards stabilizing his coalition and remaining in office. They question how one can permit “political considerations take priority of the nation’s security” and opponents express disdain for the Prime Minister’s lack of respect for Ya’alon, who has spent a lifetime serving the nation and is now discarded without even a modicum of professionalism or respect. They accuse PM Netanyahu of a willingness to compromise Israel’s security all in the name of extending his tenure as Prime Minister.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)