'I knew you were Left': Netanyahu, Smotrich attack Liberman over proposed Jordan role in West Bank

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday after the former defense minister proposed a Jordanian role in administering and providing security in parts of the West Bank.

Liberman told BeSheva that Jordan should exercise security control in Areas B and C of the West Bank, according to the outlet, a stance he has maintained in the past. The remarks prompted criticism from Netanyahu and his political allies.

"Liberman, I knew you were on the Left ever since you formed a government with Mansour Abbas. I know you are on the Left because you will form a government with Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Bennett, and the Arab parties. But I never believed that today you would propose that the Jordanian army control parts of the Land of Israel. Retract it immediately!" Netanyahu said.

Smotrich also attacked Liberman over the proposal.

"Listen to Liberman. Someone who presents himself as a man of the Right is proposing that we give up our security responsibility in Judea and Samaria and transfer it to the Jordanians! To the Jordanians! Liberman wants to take Israel back to the days of the Jordanian Legion. We must not allow that to happen," Smotrich said.

Liberman stated his proposal would be for an 'Israeli-Jordanian confederation'

Minutes later, Liberman issued a clarification, saying his proposal concerned Jordanian administration of Areas A and B.

"The State of Israel must create territorial continuity between all of Area C and maintain absolute control there. At the same time, an alternative must be found for administrative and security control in Areas A and B," Liberman said.

He separately clarified his remarks by saying that Israel should "reach an agreement with Jordan on their administration of Areas A and B," describing the proposed framework as an "Israeli-Jordanian confederation."

The proposal is not the first time Liberman has advocated a Jordanian administrative role in Palestinian areas of the West Bank.

In a January 23, 2025 interview with Ynet, Liberman proposed an arrangement under which Jordan would administer Areas A and B while Israel would administer Area C.

The proposal built on an earlier plan he presented in 2024, under which Jordan would take responsibility for Area A and Egypt would assume responsibility for the Gaza Strip.

In the earlier proposal, Liberman argued that the Oslo framework had failed and called for a long-term Jordanian-Palestinian confederation in the West Bank.