The surprising interview that Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman granted to the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds and that was published Oct. 24 is helpful in clarifying which Liberman is actually sitting in the defense minister’s seat.

Pundits have written countless articles about this very issue, while foreign governments and their intelligence agencies have been keeping close tabs on Liberman’s first few months (since the end of May) in the nerve center of Israel’s military power in Tel Aviv, curious to see what direction he takes. Which of his many faces will he wear, once he assumes the position of “Mr. Security”? Will it be that of the local brute, who declares that Hamas senior official Ismail Haniyeh will have just 48 hours to live if the bodies of IDF casualties (from the 2014 Gaza War) are not returned immediately? Or will it be the “responsible adult,” who preaches the need for a regional peace initiative, supports a two-state solution, and reins in the adventurism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the right?

For now it seems that the second Liberman is in control. For all intents and appearances, the defense minister is showing himself to be level-headed, moderate and rather pragmatic. His decision to grant his first official interview in his new position to a Palestinian newspaper considered to be the mouthpiece of the enemy is intriguing. The fact that senior Palestinian journalists identified with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Ramallah (his headquarters) were allowed access to the Holy of Holies — Israel’s Defense Ministry — and given a chance to sit down with Liberman grabbed headlines not only in Israel, but throughout the Palestinian Authority and many other places across the Middle East.

While the staff of Al-Quds came under a barrage of sharp criticism from all directions for publishing the interview, Liberman himself seems quite pleased with it. “The interview was very successful,” a source from Liberman’s entourage told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “The paper did a professional job, and the minister’s comments were translated fairly. Almost nothing was left out, and all of his messages were conveyed.”