Minister quits Netanyahu's ‘extremist government’

OCCUPIED-AL-QUDS: Israel’s centrist environment minister announced he was resigning on Friday in protest at the inclusion of ultra-nationalist Avigdor Lieberman in the coalition government, the second such cabinet walkout in a week.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed up Lieberman as Israel’s new defence minister on Wednesday in a pact beefing up his coalition to six parties with control over 66 of parliament’s 120 seats, up from a razor-thin majority of 61.

"The recent political maneuvering and defence minister’s replacement are, in my view, grave actions that ignore what is important for the country’s security and will bring about more extremism and rifts among the people," Environment Minister Avi Gabbay said in a resignation statement.

Gabbay is with Koolanu, the lone centrist party in the coalition, with 10 lawmakers in parliament.

His announcement comes days after the former defence minister, Moshe Yaalon of Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party, stepped down in protest at his portfolio being offered to Lieberman.

Gabbay had sparred with Netanyahu over government plans to develop Israeli natural gas reserves in the Mediterranean sea under a consortium that critics say will limit competition and keep prices high.

The United States has said that the new coalition raises “legitimate questions” about the Netanyahu government’s commitment to a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner, in a rare comment on Israeli internal politics, said Wednesday that Washington had “seen reports from Israel describing it as the most right-wing coalition in Israel’s history.”

“And we also know that many of its ministers have said they oppose a two-state solution,” he said.