Lieberman: "We Must Prepare for the End of American Aid"

"We must restart the country, especially regarding the cost of living. Just the interest payment on the debt is 57 billion shekels. The next budget must be started from scratch and not allow the use of autopilot. The current reality requires a re-examination, especially in light of AI challenges," says former Finance Minister and Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman in an interview.

According to him, "They talk about a supercomputer, but there is not enough electricity. We need to close unnecessary ministries and stop coalition funds of 12 billion shekels. We will examine how funds were transferred to religious councils, and then close them. Imposing new taxes should not be done off the cuff." Lieberman added: "We will activate an efficiency plan that includes merging the Wage Commissioner's office and the Civil Service Commission. We will increase the labor circle by activating a service-for-all law."

On Donald Trump and the crisis with Iran: "When a gallon of oil reaches 4 dollars, it is very troubling to the voters of Donald Trump, who is worried about the midterm elections on November 3rd. Therefore, from his point of view, he must end the Iranian crisis as quickly as possible and open the Strait of Hormuz."

"Not always do American interests coincide with the Israeli interest, but we must take care of ourselves and know how to say no. If the Saudi nuclear program also receives the approval of the US Congress, the Middle East will enter a crazy nuclear arms race."

On the state of the opposition: "Some politicians do not understand where they live. Yair Golan, chairman of The Democrats, functions as an integral part of Netanyahu's information headquarters. I approached Golan and asked, 'Is Bibi paying you a salary? Focus only on things that are in consensus in the opposition bloc.'"

On Aryeh Deri's words about the IDF Chief of Staff: "Deri is operating the Bnei Brak model. A soldier in uniform cannot enter Bnei Brak, and neither can the tax authority team that was rescued with police. The city council will build separate sidewalks for men and women. There is gender segregation in academia, at the Shas rally they cursed the Chief of Staff, and the Haredi leader Rabbi Landau slandered the soldiers. The conclusion is that Israel is on the way to a Halacha state under the auspices of the Likud."

"My colleagues in the opposition must decide: either Goldknopf or Yisrael Beiteinu. We will not sit under any circumstances with Goldknopf, nor with Moshe Gafni, nor with Deri. We had too much of that. The coalition we will establish will be national. I do not rule out the possibility of running for the position of Prime Minister, but the main task now is replacing Netanyahu."

On the security system budget challenges, he elaborates: "When they approved the last budget in the Knesset, I said it was a lying budget and nothing in it is close to reality. In the Treasury, they assumed that by April 1, 2026, the war would end, and that was a lie. The IDF is unable to pay 66 shekels to reservists for lodging at the Soldier's House."

"We must prepare for the cessation of American aid in the amount of 3.8 billion dollars per year that ends in 2028, and also for the cessation of the European Union's Horizon program in the amount of billions of euros that ends in 2027."

Yisrael Beiteinu chairman regrets that his recommendation to establish a missile corps was not accepted. "They simply buried the plan immediately when I resigned from the Ministry of Defense, and on the same occasion also buried the Northern protection plan. A missile corps is entirely blue and white, and every missile is capable of exploding anywhere in Tehran."

"The recommendation was not accepted because of a directive from the Prime Minister. The thing repeated itself in the cancellation of my plan to eliminate Hamas leaders in the Strip. The one who prevented the activation of Operation Musical Chairs was Netanyahu himself. His private interests are preferred over the security of the state. If I had implemented the plan, I would have become Prime Minister, and Netanyahu feared that. The Netanyahu family operates on the principle that if Bibi is not Prime Minister, then from their point of view, let the country burn. The Haredim harm the IDF more than the Iranians and the Houthis."

Lieberman further added: "The current government has already proven that it has no boundaries, red lines, or restraints, and it is enough to see what happened a moment before the dissolution of the Knesset. Currently, they are harming the Central Elections Committee and the religious chairman of the committee, who is the Deputy President of the Supreme Court." He clarified: "There is an attempt here to build delegitimization that started in the court and moved to the elections committee, and there is definitely room for concern and an attempt to disrupt."