JERUSALEM – Israeli police questioned foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman under caution for more than seven hours yesterday on suspicion of bribery and money laundering.
An ultranationalist, Mr Lieberman, who has denied any wrongdoing, became Israel’s foreign minister on Tuesday. His anti-Arab rhetoric has alarmed Palestinians and Arab leaders in the region.
“Avigdor Lieberman was questioned under caution by police today for 7½ hours on suspicion of carrying out the following: bribery, money laundering and breach of trust,” said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
The questioning was part of an ongoing investigation, details of which were not immediately made available.
Mr Lieberman has been questioned before but not as foreign minister.
Mr Lieberman, who is Soviet-born, campaigned in the February Israeli election on a slogan “no loyalty, no citizenship”, which is seen as urging the deportation of Israeli Arab citizens charged with involvement with or advocating the actions of militants based in the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.
The election was triggered by a corruption scandal that forced Ehud Olmert, who was leader of the centrist Kadima party, to resign as prime minister, though he remained as caretaker until Tuesday, when Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s new right-wing premier, was sworn in.
While in office, Mr Olmert was questioned repeatedly by police, but so far no charges have been brought against him. He denies any wrongdoing.
Mr Lieberman’s policies towards Arabs, which some critics call racist, helped him win a wider electorate. He says land where many of Israel’s 1.5 million Arabs live should be “swapped” for West Bank Jewish settlements in a peace deal with the Palestinians.
A former aide to Mr Netanyahu, Mr Lieberman founded his party Yisrael Beiteinu, which means “Our Home is Israel”, in 1999. – (Reuters)