Avigdor Lieberman and the New Israeli (Hard) Line

Keep tabs on this rhetoric: "If you want peace, prepare for war." Avigdor Lieberman has raised hackles as an aggressive and polarizing figure in Israeli politics, if not an extreme idealogue. And as Israel's governmental transition continues, Lieberman figures to make his colleague Benjamin Netanyahu look moderate.

Said outgoing foreign minister--and defeated challenger in this most recent election--Tzipi Livni, to Lieberman today, "You've convinced me that I was right not to join the government."

Damn. Don't hope for strained relations [That's putting it too mildly. --Ed.] between Israel and her neighbors to get better any time soon.