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Tensions between Yaalon and Netanyahu escalated in March, when military leaders criticized a soldier who was caught on video fatally shooting an already-wounded Palestinian attacker. The solider is now on trial for manslaughter. While Yaalon has backed the military, hard-liners have backed the soldier.

Reports over the past few days indicate that Netanyahu intends to appoint former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman to the post. Lieberman, 57, is one of the country’s most polarizing politicians. Over three decades, he has at times been Netanyahu’s closest ally and at other times a fierce rival.

Netanyahu this week invited Lieberman’s ultranationalist Yisrael Beteinu party to shore up his shaky parliamentary coalition and negotiation teams have been meeting to hammer out the details of their alliance.

Yaalon’s resignation solidifies the takeover of hardliners in the party.

Cabinet Minister Gila Gamliel said that Yaalon’s leaving is a “tremendous loss” for the ruling Likud party. She told Israel Radio she believes it was a “mistake” not to offer Yaalon another position and keep him in the coalition.

Many Israelis have questioned the wisdom of appointing Lieberman to the sensitive post of defence minister over Yaalon, a former army chief of staff who is generally respected for his knowledge of military affairs. Polls commissioned by Israeli TV stations broadcast Thursday showed that a majority of Israelis prefer Yaalon as defence minister over Lieberman.