Avigdor Lieberman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avigdor Lieberman
Lieberman in 2017
Ministerial roles
2001–2002	Minister of National Infrastructure
2003–2004	Minister of Transportation
2006–2008	Deputy Prime Minister
2006–2008	Minister of Strategic Affairs
2009–2012	Deputy Prime Minister
2009–2012	Minister of Foreign Affairs
2013–2015	Minister of Foreign Affairs
2016–2018	Minister of Defense
2021–2022	Minister of Finance
Faction represented in the Knesset
1999–2003	Yisrael Beiteinu
2003–2006	National Union
2006–2016	Yisrael Beiteinu
2019–2021	Yisrael Beiteinu
2022–	Yisrael Beiteinu
Personal details
Born	Evet L'vovich Liberman (Эвет Львович Либерман) (1958-07-05) 5 July 1958 (age 66) Chișinău, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union
Spouse	Ella Tzipkin
Children	3
Residences	Nokdim, West Bank
Education	Chișinău Agriculture Institute (no degree) Hebrew University of Jerusalem (BA)
Occupation	Politician

Avigdor Lieberman (Hebrew: אביגדור ליברמן, romanized: Avigdor Liberman; born 5 June 1958) is an Israeli politician. He was born in the Soviet Union and moved to Israel with his family in 1978.

Lieberman has held many important jobs in the Israeli government. He served as Minister of Finance from 2021 to 2022. He was also Deputy Prime Minister of Israel twice, from 2006 to 2008 and again from 2009 to 2012.

He has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense. He also served as Minister of National Infrastructure, Minister of Transportation, and Minister of Strategic Affairs. He resigned as Defense Minister in 2018 because he disagreed with a ceasefire in Gaza.

Lieberman is the founder and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) political party. This party is known for its secular and nationalist views. Its first supporters were mainly Russian-speaking immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Later, it gained wider support.

Lieberman has strong opinions on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He is known for the 2004 Lieberman Plan. This plan suggests exchanging land between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. It also proposes that Arab Israelis living in certain areas would become citizens of a Palestinian state unless they promise loyalty to Israel. While some see this as unfair, it also shows he is open to a two-state solution and even giving up some land from Israel's 1967 borders.

About Avigdor Lieberman

Early Life and Education

Avigdor Lieberman was born as Evet Lvovich Lieberman in Chișinău, which was then part of the Soviet Union. His family was Russian-speaking Jewish. His father, Lev, was a writer who spent seven years in Siberia under Joseph Stalin's rule. There, he met Avigdor's mother, Esther.

His parents taught him Yiddish from a young age. They also gave him a strong sense of Jewish identity. Lieberman loved Russian literature, like his father, and once dreamed of becoming a poet. He believes his direct personality comes from growing up in the large Jewish community of Chișinău in the 1970s.

After high school, Lieberman studied at the Chișinău Agriculture Institute. He focused on improving land through water management. He continued his love for literature, even winning a prize for a play he wrote.

Moving to Israel and Army Service

Lieberman and his family moved to Israel on 18 June 1978. He learned Hebrew and changed his first name to Avigdor. He joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for one year of active service. He served in the IDF military government in Hebron. After his active duty, he continued to serve in the reserves in the Artillery Corps, reaching the rank of Corporal.

After leaving the army, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He studied International Relations and Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. While studying, he worked as a bouncer at a student club. This is where he met his future wife, Ella Tzipkin.

Family Life

Avigdor and Ella Lieberman have a daughter named Michal and two sons, Yaakov and Amos. They live in the Israeli settlement of Nokdim, in the West Bank. They have lived there since 1988. Lieberman has said he would be willing to leave his home as part of a peace agreement.

When he is not in government, Lieberman has worked in business. He imported wood from the former Soviet Union to Israel, which helped him build his wealth. He speaks Russian, Romanian, Hebrew, Yiddish, and some English. His mother, Esther Lieberman, passed away in 2014.

Political Career

Early Steps in Politics

From 1983 to 1988, Lieberman helped start the Zionist Forum for Soviet Jewry. He was also involved with the Jerusalem Economic Corporation. In 1988, he began working with Benjamin Netanyahu.

From 1993 to 1996, Lieberman was the Director-General of the Likud party. When Netanyahu became Prime Minister, Lieberman served as Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office from 1996 to 1997.

In 1997, Lieberman left Likud. He disagreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu's decisions to make agreements with the Palestinians.

Founding Yisrael Beiteinu

In 1999, Lieberman started his own party, Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home). This party aimed to represent Soviet immigrants who wanted a strong approach in talks with the Palestinians. The party won four seats in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) in the 1999 election. Lieberman became a member of the Knesset.

He served on important committees, like the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. He also led the Israel-Moldova Parliamentary Friendship League.

Ministerial Roles

In March 2001, Lieberman became the Minister of National Infrastructure. He resigned from this role in March 2002.

In 2003, Yisrael Beiteinu joined with another party, the National Union. They won seven seats together. In February 2003, Lieberman was appointed Minister of Transport. He left his Knesset seat to join the Cabinet but remained the party leader. He returned to the Knesset in 2006.

In May 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon removed Lieberman from the cabinet. This was because Lieberman opposed the plan to remove Israeli settlements from Gaza. Yisrael Beiteinu left the government in protest.

Joining the Government Again

In the 2006 election, Lieberman's party ran alone and won eleven seats. In October 2006, Lieberman and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formed a new government. Lieberman became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs. This new job focused on threats from countries like Iran. He said that Iran's nuclear program was "the biggest threat facing the Jewish people since the Second World War."

Lieberman resigned from the cabinet in January 2008. He disagreed with the peace talks, saying they were a "critical mistake."

After the 2009 elections, Yisrael Beiteinu became the third-largest party in Israel. On 16 March, they joined the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lieberman was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister.

In 2012, Lieberman and Netanyahu announced that their parties, Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu, would join together for the 2013 elections. Lieberman said this was to "stabilize leadership and government."

Minister of Defense

In May 2016, Lieberman became Israel's Minister of Defense. One of his first actions was to ensure equal rights for the families of fallen soldiers, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender soldiers. He stated that the ministry would treat all families equally.

In 2016, while Defense Minister, Lieberman created a secret document. This document warned the Israeli government about the risk of an attack by Hamas across the Israel-Gaza border. It also warned about attacks on southern Israeli communities and the taking of hostages. This document was reportedly shown to Prime Minister Netanyahu and the army chief.

In October 2018, he appointed Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi as the Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. Lieberman resigned on 14 November 2018. He did this to protest a ceasefire with Hamas.

Lieberman's Views

Lieberman believes that the peace process is based on some wrong ideas. He thinks the conflict is not just about land but also about different beliefs. He also thinks that creating a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders might not end the conflict.

The Lieberman Plan

In May 2004, Lieberman introduced his "Populated-Area Exchange Plan," also known as the Lieberman Plan. This plan suggests separating Israeli Jews and Arabs. It proposes that Arab towns in Israel that are close to Palestinian Authority areas would become part of the Palestinian Authority. Only Arab Israelis who moved to areas within Israel's new borders and promised loyalty to Israel would remain Israeli citizens.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon disagreed with these ideas, stating that "Israeli Arabs are part of the State of Israel."

After the 2009 elections, Lieberman said he had changed his mind. He now supports the creation of a Palestinian state. He wrote that he "advocates the creation of a viable Palestinian state." He also said he would agree to leave his home in Nokdim if there was a real two-state solution. He explained that his views changed over time and that "reality changes." He compared his idea of "responsible citizenship" to other countries where people seeking citizenship must promise to follow the country's laws.

In 2014, Lieberman repeated his plan. He said he would not support any peace plan that did not include such a "land exchange." He specifically mentioned areas like the Triangle and Wadi Ara.

Foreign Relations and Other Views

Lieberman supports Israel joining the European Union and NATO. He sees Iran as a serious threat to Israel. He initially supported economic penalties against Iran rather than military action.

His party is often seen as secular, meaning it aims to reduce the role of the religious system in government. However, it supports the continued role of Orthodox religious courts. They want more nationally-minded religious people in charge, not the ultra-orthodox. The party does not want to completely separate religion and state in Israel. It also seeks solutions for people who cannot marry under current religious laws.

Lieberman supports expanding foreign relations with Azerbaijan. This is because of the historical friendship between Azerbaijanis and Jewish minorities. He believes that strong ties between Azerbaijan and Israel are important against their shared opponent, Iran.

Investigations and Allegations

Assault Conviction

In 2001, Lieberman admitted in court that he hit a 12-year-old boy. This happened in December 1999 in the Nokdim settlement. The boy had hit Lieberman's son. Lieberman confessed to the crime as part of an agreement. The judge ordered him to pay the child compensation and a fine.

Corruption Investigation

Lieberman was investigated by the police regarding his connections with businessmen. It was claimed that he received money from various business people while he was a member of the Knesset. Israeli law does not allow Knesset members to receive payments beyond their salary.

One claim was that a company paid large sums of money to another company, and these sums were then supposedly passed to Lieberman as a bribe. There were also allegations about money transferred to a company founded by Lieberman's daughter from unknown sources outside Israel. This money was then allegedly used to pay salaries to Avigdor and Michal Lieberman.

Lieberman denied all these claims. He said the police were conspiring against him. He pointed out that investigations often happened before elections.

In 2010, the police suggested that Lieberman be charged with breach of trust. This was related to claims that he received secret information about ongoing investigations into his activities. In 2011, the State Prosecutor's Office decided to charge him with fraud and breach of trust.

In December 2012, Lieberman announced he was giving up his immunity and resigned as foreign minister. His trial began in February 2013 and ended in November 2013 with an acquittal. The judges found him not guilty. They stated that while he acted improperly by not telling the Foreign Ministry about some past dealings, he was not guilty of criminal activity. Lieberman returned to his position as foreign minister in November 2013.

Images for kids

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  Lieberman and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

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  Lieberman in Latvia 2010

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  Lieberman with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 16 July 2012

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  Lieberman and Ashton Carter in front of the F-35 fighter

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  Lieberman with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in April 2017

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  Nokdim as photographed from the air in early 2006.

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  Lieberman and Bill de Blasio

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  Lieberman with Austrian foreign minister Sebastian Kurz in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Avigdor Lieberman para niños