Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman called a surprise press conference for Wednesday afternoon, triggering speculations that he is about to resign, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
Haaretz newspaper quoted sources close to Israeli DM as saying that he does indeed mean to step down.
The sources say that he really does mean to announce his resignation, a move he has been planning for some time, driven by his sense that he isn’t leading the defense establishment to the place he wants to go.
“The briefing by the prime minister’s office against Lieberman, ostensibly suggesting he supports the cease-fire with Hamas, was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Haaretz quoted the sources as saying.
The Israeli daily meanwhile, noted that Lieberman does not usually come to the Knesset on Wednesday, “making his announcement of a press conference highly unusual.”
His announcement stated that he will be convening the Yisrael Beiteinu faction at 12 P.M. on Wednesday, and will then issue a statement to the press and take questions.
Following the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Lieberman and Education Minister Naftali Bennett published statements against the truce reached with Hamas.
Sources said that as soon as the latest round of fighting erupted, Lieberman demanded a “harsh, decisive” move against Hamas. Sources near Bennett say that his opposition to the cease-fire was “clear as could be.”
Source: Israeli media
