Liberman calls anyone with other Knesset priorities 'simply an idiot'

Avigdor Liberman, a veteran Israeli politician, has published a post listing what he says the newly elected Knesset, Israel's parliament, must do first, and dismissing anyone who disagrees with that order. In the post on X, he wrote that even before the election campaign ended he had said the new parliament had to move immediately to replace the Speaker of the Knesset, appoint a State Comptroller, pass a law capping a prime minister's tenure at two terms, and afterwards repeal what he called the laws of the "regime coup".

He described this as "the right order of priorities" and added that anyone proposing a different order "is simply an idiot". The post was headed with a phrase that translates roughly as a pile-on of stupidity and malice, suggesting he was responding to criticism, though he did not say from whom. The Hebrew news channel News.co.il reported the same text and described it as a Facebook post, so the message appears to have been shared on more than one platform.

Who is Avigdor Liberman

Liberman leads Yisrael Beytenu (Israel Our Home), a right-wing secular party. He has served in senior cabinet posts in past governments but has in recent years positioned himself as a firm opponent of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Everything in the post is his own position, stated in his own words; it is not a government plan or an agreed opposition programme.

What the four steps involve

Speaker of the Knesset. The Speaker presides over the parliament's plenary sessions and has considerable influence over which bills come to the floor and when. Because the Speaker is chosen by a vote of the members, the post is often an early test of which camp commands a majority in a new parliament. Liberman's call to replace the Speaker immediately reflects that procedural weight.

State Comptroller. The State Comptroller is Israel's independent public auditor, examining the conduct and spending of ministries, state bodies and public officials, and also serving as ombudsman for citizen complaints. The comptroller is chosen by the Knesset, which is why Liberman lists the appointment among the parliament's tasks.

A two-term limit. Israeli law does not currently cap how long a person may serve as prime minister. Proposals to impose a limit have surfaced repeatedly and are widely understood in Israel as aimed at Netanyahu, the country's longest-serving prime minister. Liberman's post calls for legislation restricting any prime minister to two terms.

Repealing the "regime coup" laws. "Regime coup" is the term opponents of the Netanyahu government use for its programme of changes to the judicial system, which supporters call judicial reform. The overhaul set off one of the largest protest movements in Israel's history. Liberman's wording places the repeal of these laws after the other three steps, though the post does not specify which laws he means.

Why the order matters

The thrust of the post is about sequence rather than substance alone. By insisting that control of the Speaker's chair, the comptroller appointment and a term limit come first, Liberman is arguing for securing institutional positions and constitutional limits early in the parliament's life. His sharp language toward those who would rank things differently indicates an ongoing argument over priorities, but the post itself does not identify who holds the opposing view or what alternative they proposed.

What the reports do not say

Neither report identifies the critics Liberman was answering, or what they had said. No response from other parties, from the current Speaker or from Netanyahu's camp has been reported. The post does not say which specific laws should be repealed, whether a term-limit bill has been drafted, or whether Liberman has the support of other factions for any of the four steps.