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Former Israeli defense chief to compete for leadership

Xinhua, June 16, 2016 Adjust font size:

Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon vowed Thursday to return to politics and run for Israel's leadership.

"I intend to run for leadership of Israel in the next elections," Ya'alon said during a speech at the annual Herzliya Conference, a forum of political and military decision-makers, according to a statement from the conference's spokesperson.

He also criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "fearmongering" tactics.

Ya'alon resigned from his position as Likud legislator last month after being removed by Netanyahu from his post as defense minister.

"The Iranian nuclear program does not constitute an imminent existential threat to Israel," Ya'alon said, referring to Netanyahu's domestic and International campaign that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons it would pose an existential threat to Israel.

"At this time and in the foreseeable future there is no existential threat to the state of Israel," Ya'alon said.

"It is appropriate for Israel's leadership to cease from scaring citizens and stop telling them that we are on the brink of a second Holocaust," he added.

Ya'alon said the current Israeli leadership is trying to "cynically" divert citizens' attention from other pressing problems.

"It is erroneous to think that if we scare citizens then they will forget the corruption, the social gaps, the high cost of living and other challenges," he said.

Ya'alon was replaced by the hawkish legislator Avigdor Lieberman, after Netanyahu negotiated Lieberman's entry into the government to increase his coalition's size.

Following his resignation, Ya'alon accused Netanyahu and his government of "losing their moral direction."

During the past year, tensions have been on the rise among Israeli right-wingers, particularly the Likud party, moderate and hawkish legislators, partly due to an ongoing wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

The latest bout of violence, which started in October, has so far claimed the lives of 32 Israelis and 205 Palestinians. Endit