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Avigdor Liberman, key player of the Knesset takeover

Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman is the one pulling the strings behind recent developments and behind Blue and White's renewed drive to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
17 September 2019, Israel, Tel Aviv: Avigdor Liberman, Former Defense Minister of Israel and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) right-wing party, tours down town Tel Aviv during the Israeli parliamentary elections. Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa (Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Once the last election in March was over, it took two days for Yisrael Beitenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman to come to his senses and realize that he can still complete his mission after all. There is still a chance for him to throw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu out of politics.

When news channels first released their exit polls, it looked like Netanyahu strengthened his right-wing ultra-Orthodox bloc and stood at the head of the largest party. Then there was Liberman. Photos and footage coming from his party headquarters showed him shattered and spent. It was as if the light that had kept him going had finally gone out. Personally, he lost support between the second and third rounds of the elections and ended up with just seven seats. It was a disappointing outcome, as far as he was concerned. While Netanyahu celebrated before thousands of adoring supporters, Liberman seemed listless, as he gave a speech of his own to a very limited audience. What made matters worse was that the Blue and White party, which he considered to be a partner in his mission to bring down Netanyahu, ended up with three seats less than the Likud (33 and 36, respectively).

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