'He should be ashamed': Liberman condemns Chikli for mocking his Russian accent
Avigdor Liberman accused Amichai Chikli of insulting more than a million Russian-speaking Israelis after the minister mocked his accent, sparking widespread criticism
Assessment
A personal insult has escalated into a political flashpoint about respect for Israel's Russian-speaking community. Liberman is framing Chikli's mockery not as a one-off gaffe but as an attack on a million citizens. The question now is whether Chikli apologizes or doubles down, and whether this incident shifts any votes ahead of the next election.