FM Lieberman’s Party Vows to Protect Israel From Islamic State, al-Qaeda

Avigdor Lieberman said that voting for any party except Yisrael Beiteinu would lead to terrorist cells flourishing in Israel.

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) — The leader of the Israeli Zionist party Yisrael Beiteinu, foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday his party will protect Israel from the Islamic State jihadist group and al-Qaeda.

“Whoever wants to prevent an IS branch and an al-Qaida cell in Israel must vote for Yisrael Beiteinu,” Lieberman said as quoted by Haaretz.

According to the daily’s site, Lieberman said that a vote for any party except Yisrael Beiteinu will lead to terrorist cells flourishing in Israel.

Earlier on Tuesday, Yisrael Beiteinu filed a petition to the Central Elections Committee after party representatives claimed they had been assaulted and prevented from entering Arab village polling stations.

The current national elections in Israel will determine the composition of the new Knesset, Israel's parliament, and of the government.

The main rivals are the Likud party, headed by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the opposition Zionist Union, led by Isaac Herzog.

According to the latest opinion polls, the prime minister's party has a good chance of losing the elections to the center-left Zionist Union, political alliance of the Israeli Labor Party and Hantuah, taking 22 seats versus the Union’s 26.

Yisrael Beytenu is expected to take up to 5 seats.