"You Can't Treat Every Retarded Child Seriously": Liberman attacks Yair Netanyahu
Avigdor Lieberman calls Yair Netanyahu “Retarded” after explosive accusations regarding the tied between Qatar and the prime minister office shake Israel’s political and military leadership
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A heated political feud erupted Thursday after opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman launched a blistering attack against Yair Netanyahu, the son of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following controversial remarks related to the Israeli military chief.
Speaking on national television, Lieberman dismissed Yair as someone unworthy of public attention. “I keep hearing about Yair Netanyahu,” he said. “Let’s be honest. You cannot respond to every retarded child. These people are not going to run the country for us.”
The comments came after Yair Netanyahu published a late-night post on X accusing IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir of involvement in a potential military coup. In the post, Yair referred to an alleged leak of sensitive military information and implied that Zamir was behind it.
“If the person who dictated this to the journalist is who we think it is, then this is nothing less than an attempted military coup,” Yair wrote. “Straight out of a banana republic in Central America in the seventies.”
The post referred to a prominent Israeli military correspondent.
Lieberman was not the only one to push back. Defense Minister Israel Katz also became a target of Yair Netanyahu’s claims, after Yair suggested that Katz was the one who forced Zamir's appointment.
Katz responded directly and publicly, confirming that he had indeed recommended Zamir for the top job and stood by that decision.
“Yes, I did support the appointment of Eyal Zamir as chief of staff,” Katz said. “The Prime Minister and the cabinet approved my recommendation.”
Katz offered strong backing for the military chief, calling him “the most qualified person to lead the Israeli Defense Forces through the complex threats we face today.”
The incident has fueled growing concerns about the influence of the prime minister’s son on national policy. Some opposition figures claim that Yair Netanyahu’s social media behavior has become a destabilizing force in Israeli politics, especially when directed at figures in the security establishment.