Avigdor Liberman
@AvigdorLiberman · Middle East
Avigdor Liberman is followed by Storyz World for government and public service coverage connected to Israel in the Middle East chapter.
So what do I mean when I say abolish 12th grade? First of all, let it be clear: there is absolutely no intention to bring forward the age of enlistment! The intention is to abolish 12th grade in its current form and turn it into a genuine year of preparation for life. The matriculation exams can be completed by the end of 11th grade, and the year before enlistment devoted to the things our young people really need as they prepare for adult life: sound financial management, English, digital literacy and wise use of artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and teamwork. A year that will strengthen personal resilience and leadership, encourage volunteering and a deeper familiarity with Israeli society, and provide better physical and mental preparation for military or civilian service. And not everyone needs to do the same thing. Every young man and woman will be able to choose areas of experience according to their abilities and aspirations - from industry and innovation, through academia and agriculture, to community work, vocational training or a job that will allow them to gain experience and also save some money before enlistment. I am not proposing bringing forward their military service. I am proposing turning the year before it into a year that truly prepares them for adult life.
Translated from HebrewThe archive remembers very well who warned and who abandoned! You will not escape responsibility; a state commission of inquiry will be established and expose everything.
Translated from HebrewI arrived in Hatzor HaGlilit today and met with the head of the council, Michael Kabesa. Hatzor is a strategic community in the heart of the Galilee, with enormous potential for growth. Demand for housing is growing, major businesses are choosing to invest, and the planned transportation projects could turn it into a significant transportation, economic and tourism hub in the eastern Galilee. Hatzor's residents stood on the front line, endured the war, were not evacuated, and continued to maintain a strong community here. It is time for the state to stand by their side. In the next government, we will work together with Michael Kabesa so that Hatzor receives the status, budgets, and tools it deserves for fortification, tax benefits, rehabilitation, and economic development. Not only to compensate it for what it went through, but to enable it to grow, create jobs, and become a growth engine for the Galilee. Strengthening Hatzor is a national, security, and Zionist interest.
Translated from HebrewI visited the Hermon approaches this morning and met with the Confrontation Line Forum. You can hear the explosions here every night, but you cannot hear the lathes in the Dahiyeh district, which are working nonstop. Hezbollah continues to arm itself and grow stronger, and anyone who thinks we are on the way to calm is mistaken. We cannot continue like this. For three years now, we have been waging a war of attrition on six fronts, without a decisive outcome. It is time to stop talking about arrangements and start talking in terms of decisive victory. Decisive victory in the north means Hezbollah’s physical elimination.
Translated from HebrewThe alarming data revealed today should concern every citizen in Israel: 1,370 doctors have left the country over the past three years—a 94% increase in a decade. This comes after thousands of Israelis who feel they have no future here have left. The government of the October 7 massacre is driving away the best people from here: doctors, professionals, and entire families. Instead of caring for the country and its citizens, Netanyahu cares about the coalition and its draft dodgers. In the next government, we will rebuild the country, restore trust, and make many Israelis choose Israel again.
Translated from HebrewIn Israel 2026 there is no room for racism. Period. Attacking girls just because of their origin is a disgrace that must not be passed over in silence. Violence and racism must be dealt with harshly and without compromise.
Translated from HebrewThis week I met Menachem, a Haredi young man in his twenties, a graduate of one of the leading yeshivas. A smart, ambitious young man who wants to build a business, earn a living and succeed. But he told me painfully: "I am starting life far behind. Not because I am less talented. But because I was never taught English, mathematics or computers." And that is the whole story! A Haredi child does not choose not to study core subjects. Someone chooses for him, and he pays the price years later. And it is hard to ignore the uncomfortable truth: A system that preserves poverty, dependence and lack of education also serves those who built their political power on it. In my view, this is also one of the reasons for the steadfast opposition to enlistment in the IDF. Because the IDF is not just service. It is an encounter. An encounter in which a Haredi young man may discover that the gap between him and his Israeli brothers is not because he is less good than they are, but because they were given tools he did not receive. And then he may ask the truly dangerous question: "Why wasn't I given the same chance?" And the big question is really for the government: How can children be abandoned like this in the name of political agreements?! Core studies are not a struggle against Haredim. They are a struggle for the Haredi child! Menachem did not ask for pity. He asked for a chance.
Translated from HebrewThe thug draft dodgers are a cornerstone of Netanyahu’s coalition - without them he has no government. On 27.10, we will send them, together with Netanyahu, into the opposition for many years.
Translated from HebrewI welcome the High Court decision, which accepted the petition by the Yisrael Beiteinu party and annulled the law freezing the detention of draft evaders. There will be no distinction between blood and blood. In the State of Israel, everyone is equal before the law. In the next government, we will draft everyone — without under-the-table deals and without exemptions.
Translated from HebrewIsrael 2026. Drinking coffee on Shabbat - forbidden. Hating, attacking and rioting on Shabbat - permitted. This is not our Judaism. We will not surrender to draft dodgers, and we will not allow the State of Israel to be turned into a state governed by Jewish religious law. Live and let live. Without coercion.
Translated from HebrewAryeh Deri has become Israel’s number 1 encourager of draft evasion. Instead of calling on those who do not study Torah to enlist, he is acting against the enlistment of Haredim and against the IDF. The revered Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is turning in his grave when he sees his conduct.
Translated from HebrewWe are in the final stretch before the lists are closed. I call on the leaders of the parties in the serving bloc to act responsibly - we all must make one last effort to try to forge alliances with the parties of Hili Tropper, Gilad Erdan and Benny Gantz, in order to prevent votes from being dispersed. They have no chance of passing the electoral threshold, but they could take away 3-4 seats from the serving bloc.
Translated from HebrewI congratulate the IDF soldiers, Shin Bet, and the security forces on their courageous operation and on the arrest of the head of Hamas’s internal security in the Gaza Strip. We must continue pursuing Hamas terrorists and defeat the terrorist organization.
Translated from HebrewI reinforce and add: In the next government, educational institutions that do not teach the core curriculum will not receive a shekel from the state.
Translated from HebrewDear children of Israel and my beloved grandchildren, I wish you all a successful school year. As a father and grandfather, I know one thing clearly: You are the future of the State of Israel! In a few years, you will be the ones who lead it, defend it, build it, and take it forward. My role is to make sure that you receive today the tools to succeed tomorrow! In the next government, we will continue the path I began as finance minister: Israel’s education system will educate for excellence, Zionism, responsibility, and independence, and every educational institution will be required to teach core studies and prepare its students for life. The rule will be simple and clear: An institution that does not teach core studies and does not give children the tools to integrate, earn a living, and succeed in the future will not receive a single shekel from the state.
Translated from HebrewTwo years since the murder of the six hostages by the Hamas monsters in the Gaza Strip. Two years ago today, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi and Staff Sgt. Uri Danino, of blessed memory, were kidnapped alive. For months they survived in Hamas captivity, under inhuman conditions, until they were brutally murdered by their captors. We will honor their memory not only with eulogies and ceremonies—but also by exposing the truth. A truth that is so deserved by the families of these six pure souls who were slaughtered by the Hamas monsters, by the bereaved families and by the citizens of Israel! A state commission of inquiry must be established, and it will be. A commission that will investigate the failures that led to the October 7 massacre, expose the failings and determine who bears responsibility.
Translated from HebrewNine days before the massacre – I visited the communities surrounding Gaza, and the writing was on the wall!
Translated from HebrewA Ballad for the Naive I completely agree with the claim that all the parties and all the ministers who were partners in the government of the October 7 massacre cannot be partners in the next coalition. But there is a basic logical contradiction when, on the one hand, these things are said, and on the other hand Netanyahu is declared the right’s candidate for prime minister. As someone who was there, as someone who sat in the cabinet and served as defense minister, I state unequivocally: Benjamin Netanyahu bears primary responsibility for the October 7 massacre. There are additional responsible parties, certainly, who will have to give an account before a state commission of inquiry, but Netanyahu’s responsibility is twofold. He was prime minister at the time of the disaster, and he is the man who for years led that defeatist policy once called containment, once deterrence and once the conception. Netanyahu was the prime minister who released Yahya Sinwar along with more than a thousand terrorists in the Shalit deal. During Operation Protective Edge, when I demanded that the fighting continue until Hamas rule was eradicated, Netanyahu chose a ceasefire and later a policy of accommodation with the terrorist organization. In December 2016 I placed on his desk a document in which I warned of a scenario in which Nukhba forces would infiltrate the communities around Gaza, conquer communities and take hostages. The cabinet headed by Netanyahu rejected the document and continued with the conception. Later Netanyahu initiated and led the bringing of Qatari cash into the Gaza Strip. For years he preferred to buy temporary quiet instead of defeating Hamas. We all paid the terrible price of this policy on October 7. And for those who continue to tell themselves that Netanyahu is the “leader of the right,” it is also worth recalling the facts. It is that same Netanyahu who handed Hebron over to Arafat. That same Netanyahu who voted in the Knesset in favor of the disengagement plan. That same Netanyahu who recognized a Palestinian state in his 2009 Bar-Ilan speech. That same Netanyahu who met over the years with Arafat and Abu Mazen, and who met with representatives of the Arab parties, Ahmad Tibi, Jamal Zahalka and Mansour Abbas. It is that same Netanyahu who apologized to Erdoğan and to Qatar, and now allows Hamas and Hezbollah to recover and grow stronger. So which “right” exactly are we talking about? The right is not a personality cult. The right is a worldview. It is security, national responsibility, standing up to terror, safeguarding the interests of the State of Israel and a willingness to make decisions even when they are difficult. The guiding principle of the Netanyahu family is “If Bibi is not prime minister, let the country burn.” Netanyahu is neither right-wing nor an Israeli patriot. At best he is the Sabbatai Zevi of naive people who continue to believe his promises despite the unfathomable gap between them and his actions. Whenever someone on the right says they will not commit in advance to recommending Netanyahu, they are immediately accused of “sabotaging the national camp.” This is an absurd claim. No one owns the right, and no candidate is automatically entitled to support merely because they have attached this label to themselves. Therefore I suggest to my naive friends on the right: stop apologizing. Stop justifying yourselves. Above all, stop accepting the equation that Netanyahu is the right and the right is Netanyahu. The right was here before Netanyahu and will be here long after him. If the State of Israel wants to recover from the October 7 massacre, restore its security, governance and trust in its leadership, it needs a new beginning. The path there begins with one simple thing: send Benjamin Netanyahu home.
Translated from HebrewBibi, you are neither right-wing nor a patriot. All that guides you is political survival and a lust for power, even at the price of deals with Arafat, Abu Mazen and Yahya Sinwar. You apologize to Qatar and Erdoğan, but you forgot to ask the people of Israel for forgiveness for your responsibility for the October 7 massacre.
Translated from HebrewI came to the enlistment office to salute and support the young Haredim who enlisted and to convey a sharp and clear message to the draft evaders who cursed and rioted. The draft evaders are acting against Judaism and against our tradition. All the great Torah sages of Israel, from Joshua son of Nun onward, were warriors. The state must strengthen those who enlist and deal harshly with all the draft evaders and inciters. In our government, we will cancel all the benefits, all the perks and all the budgets for draft evaders, and transfer them to all those who enlist, to all those who serve.
Translated from HebrewDeath wishes don't move me. It only proves how much they fear the moment when the celebration of military-service evasion will end. And it will end soon!
Translated from HebrewWe must not play into Netanyahu’s hands! Netanyahu is trying to drag the media and the political system onto the playing field that is most comfortable for him: Mansour Abbas yes, Mansour Abbas no, a Palestinian state yes, a Palestinian state no, who will be prime minister, who will be deputy prime minister and who will be vice prime minister. The goal is clear. To distract attention from the truly substantive questions: Who is responsible for the October 7 massacre, who is responsible for the loss of governance, the collapse of Israel’s standing in the world and the spiraling cost of living! We all still remember Netanyahu at the supermarket and the gas station, promising to lower the cost of living and provide free education for everyone from the age of zero. What remains of all those promises? Nothing at all. How can it be that in broad daylight a citizen in the State of Israel is murdered live on air in Caesarea, just a three-minute drive from the prime minister’s private home?! More than 2,000 soldiers and civilians have been murdered since October 7. More than 26,000 soldiers who were physically and psychologically wounded are being treated by the Defense Ministry, and around 80,000 additional civilians are being treated by the National Insurance Institute. The cost of living is skyrocketing and retirees’ pensions are being eroded every month! Netanyahu wants to run away from all these questions and all these facts. He does it in a sophisticated and effective way. Each time he creates a new controversy, drags everyone into focusing on it, and thereby diverts the discussion from the failures and from his responsibility for the sorry state of the State of Israel. The media and the opposition must understand this game and not play into his hands. They must not chase after every spin and must not let him set the agenda. The focus must be placed solely on the substantive questions: responsibility for the October 7 massacre, personal security, governance, Israel’s standing in the world and the cost of living. If we keep the discussion there and do not let Netanyahu escape to the playing field that is comfortable for him, we will win big.
Translated from HebrewIn the next government we will operate public transportation on Saturdays and holidays - according to the character of the communities and cities. Live and let live
Translated from HebrewContrary to all the statements, it turns out that the prime minister of the October massacre conducted direct negotiations with Hamas behind the back of the security establishment—once through his close associate, a private businessman, and once through Ronen Bar with Hamas abroad, including with Khalil al-Hayya. And if that is not enough, his response to drones from Gaza is to open the Erez crossing, in addition to Kerem Shalom and Zikim. His denials and those of the defense minister do not correspond with the extent of the facts on the ground, including the arrival of screening devices from Germany. Netanyahu's lies have become a method of operation. But on 27.10 the celebration of the cover-up and lies will end! The first thing we will do in the next government is establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre, which will expose everything, and everyone who is guilty will pay!
Translated from HebrewI don’t understand what Netanyahu and his associates’ claims against Ofer Winter and Kobi Eliraz are. The person who threw Kobi Eliraz out of the Ministry of Defense from one moment to the next was Benjamin Netanyahu, and the person who did not promote Ofer Winter to military secretary to the prime minister, contrary to all the promises and commitments, was that same Benjamin Netanyahu.
Translated from Hebrew