On May 25, APN hosted a briefing call on the political development in Israel, following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s signing a new coalition agreement with right-wing firebrand Avigdor Lieberman, appointing Lieberman to the position of Minister of Defense. Eldar, a senior columnist with al-Monitor, spoke about the implications for Israel, its security, and its relations with the Palestinians and the world.

Akiva Eldar, a frequent quest on APN briefing calls, is a senior political columnist for Al-Monitor news service’s Israel Pulse. He was formerly a senior columnist and editorial writer for Haaretz, and served as Haaretz’s US bureau chief and diplomatic correspondent in the 1980’s. His most recent book (with Idith Zertal), Lords of the Land, on Israeli West Bank settlements, was a best-seller in Israel and has been translated into English, French, German and Arabic. An award-winning journalist, Akiva has been named by the Financial Times among the world’s most influential commentators.