9/11:U.S.' Israeli  'Allies' Select Pro Russian Palestinian Genocidist As Defense Minister

Is new defense minister dangerous for Israel? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse ...

www.al-monitor.com/.../israel-yisrael-beiteinu-liberman-defe...

Al‑Monitor

May 23, 2016 - Some in the Israeli military are panicked over Avigdor Libermanheading the ... The Israeli soldier who shot and killed a wounded Palestinian at short .... Interesting thing is that Lieberman is supposed to provide a solid US-Russia link, ..... Bibi Satanyahu fessed up that "9/11 is good for Israel" his words.

Russian thug Avigdor Lieberman named Israeli Defense Minister ...

justsayin.online/.../russian-thug-avigdor-lieberman-named-israeli-defense...

Russian thug Avigdor Lieberman named Israeli Defense Minister. by ... As defense minister, Lieberman – who lives in an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank – would oversee military operations in the Palestinian territories ...fraud and money laundering and is rumored to have close ties with the Russian mafia.

Six Reasons That Avigdor Lieberman Being Named Israel's Defense ...

forward.com/.../israel/.../six-reasons-that-avigdor-lieberman...

The Forward

May 19, 2016 - Soviet-born, Russian-speaking Lieberman has never made a secret of his desire to improve ties between Israel and Putin's Russia. As doors ...

Lieberman to Sputnik: Israeli-Russian Ties to Remain Warm After ...

sputniknews.com/politics/20150316/1019543878.html

Mar 16, 2015 - Lieberman to Sputnik: Israeli-Russian Ties to Remain Warm After Election .... US Military Court to Resume Hearings for Accused 9/11 Plotters.

http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/a-new-path-for-russia-to-enter-israeli-gas-market-29848

A PRO RUSSIAN POLITICAN TO BE CONFIRMED ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTER

Avigdor Lieberman, an ultra-nationalist pro-Russian right-wing politician, is expected to be 

confirmed as Israel's next minister for defense, which could influence the development of Israel's 

gas industry. 

Lieberman was born in Moldova when it was still a part of the Soviet Union and he speaks fluent 

Russian. He immigrated to Israel in 1978 at the age of 20. Following a short business career he 

became the director-general of the prime minister's office when Benjamin Netanyahu became 

prime minister for the first time, exactly 20 years ago this month.

He later resigned this post, established his own party and became foreign minister, a job he held 

for six years from 2009. From time to time he left politics and became involved in international 

trade particularly with eastern European and Eurasian regimes. His friendship with Vladimir Putin, 

the Russian president, is not a secret.

Netanyahu (left) with Putin at their last meeting in Moscow, Russia (credit: the Kremlin) 

Opposition to rapprochement with Turkey

During the last few months when Turkey negotiated the rapprochement agreement with Israel, 

Lieberman, still in the opposition, sided with the Russian position, opposing the rapprochement 

and said that it was better for Israel to strengthen its ties with Greece and Cyprus, two of Russia's 

allies in the region. Israel's outgoing defence minister, Moshe Ya'alon, was also against the 

rapprochement unless Turkey expelled Hamas operatives from Turkey. Now Lieberman is 

expected to support Gazprom's engagement in Israel's natural gas market.

Last week, after Lieberman's appointment, he met – accidentally, according to his associates – 

Yossi Abu, the CEO of Delek Drilling and Avner, two Delek Group's subsidiaries, at an upscale 

restaurant in Jerusalem. The meeting lasted just a few minutes.

For many years Lieberman has been the main pillar of support for the gas monopoly among 

Israel's political elite. Uzi Landau, his party member, who served as energy minister at the 

beginning of the decade, opposed all legislation aimed at raising taxes on producers or limiting 

their export rights. When those issues were debated and voted in parliament, Lieberman's party 

objected, despite being part of the coalition.

Lieberman was defeated on both those issues. Lieberman also supported the natural gas 

framework, although his party voted against it in parliament. Lieberman sought the post of 

minister for defence, a position now his subject to confirmation by parliament.

Now that his aim has been achieved and the framework has been approved, the Israeli natural 

gas 

industry might be on a verge of a new, pro-Russian, era.

Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Wikipedia.org)

Winners and losers

A gas deal with Russia would serve a few of the stakeholders well. Russia would gain an important 

geopolitical coup and would bring Israel, a long-time US ally in the Middle East, into its sphere of 

influence. It would also enable the Leviathan shareholders to monetize their holdings, something 

they could not otherwise do, in the foreseeable future because of gas market conditions; Israeli  

officials might find a Russian involvement attractive as it may secure a second connection from  

the gas fields to the shore and increase energy security in the country.

A Russian deal would displease the Turkish government who sees Israeli gas as a means of 

escaping reliance on Gazprom. It would also displease the US administration which, unlike 

Turkey, 

would be in a position to try to stop it.

However even if a deal does go through it would not guarantee the development of Leviathan. In 

the framework there are no binding obligations on gas companies to develop the gas fields and 

there is no mention of sanctions against them if they do not develop the field by 2019. However 

bringing Gazprom into play would limit the options of Israeli regulators and the ability of the Israeli 

government to act against the gas monopoly if they do not adhere to the framework's guidelines.

Ya'acov Zalel