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Israel

Avigdor Lieberman looks an election winner

The Received wisdom was that there would be two main political beneficiaries from Operation Cast Lead.

January 29, 2009 15:08
Spoils of war: an election poster shows Israel Beitenu party leader Avigdor Liberman

ByAnshel Pfeffer, Anshel Pfeffer

1 min read

The Received wisdom was that there would be two main political beneficiaries from Operation Cast Lead: Ehud Barak as Defence Minister, and Binyamin Netanyahu, who could claim prescience over his warnings that Hamas had to be confronted.

But while Barak’s Labour has slightly improved its position and Netanyahu’s Likud is still ahead of Kadima, the unexpected beneficiary has been Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party If recent polls are anything to go by, Lieberman has surged ahead of his previous marginal status and is now tying with Labour for third place.

The former bouncer’s growing popularity seems to be based less on his own merits and more on dissatisfaction with the three main candidates.

A few years ago, Lieberman was ostracized as an extreme right-winger. But many Israelis who previously supported the various peace proposals are now frustrated by what seems to be the absence of any realistic bilateral solution to the conflict with the Palestinians. They are, it seems, willing to give Lieberman a chance.