Israel’s Lieberman warns Netanyahu against war-related decisions without parliamentary oversight

Avigdor Lieberman, head of Israel’s Yisrael Beiteinu party, warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s caretaker government against making decisions that “could drag Israel into war without parliamentary oversight,” Anadolu reports.

“I warn that a caretaker government is not authorized to make decisions that could drag Israel into war without parliamentary oversight and the full approval of all security establishment bodies,” Lieberman wrote on US social media company X.

“I stress: ‘all’ security establishment bodies,” he added.

Lieberman, a former defense minister, thus joined Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, who warned Netanyahu on Wednesday against launching a military operation.

His remarks also came after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said earlier Thursday that neither he nor the prime minister “needed approval from the opposition or any legal authority to issue orders” to the army.

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The developments come as Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally tasked Eisenkot with forming a government Sunday after parliamentary factions representing 67 lawmakers recommended him, compared with 46 backing Netanyahu. Seven lawmakers declined to recommend either candidate.

Eisenkot has 28 days to form a governing coalition, with a possible 14-day extension.

The mandate followed Israel’s Oct. 27 parliamentary elections, in which Netanyahu’s bloc secured 53 seats, the opposition 48 and Arab parties 19 in the 120-member Knesset, leaving neither main bloc with an outright majority.

Eisenkot’s efforts to form a government have been complicated by disagreements among prospective coalition partners over cooperation with Arab parties and military service exemptions demanded by ultra-Orthodox factions.

Eisenkot and Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman agreed Monday to pursue negotiations with ultra-Orthodox parties, while Lieberman has rejected forming a government dependent on Arab parties.

Meanwhile, Democrats party leader Yair Golan said Wednesday that a new government could be formed within three weeks, advocating cooperation with the United Arab List (Ra’am) and support from the Arab Joint List.

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