Angry that peace talks had started up again between Palestine and Israel, the most hawkish and rightwing party in the Israeli parliament quit the ruling coalition government as a protest move.

The Yisrael Beiteinu party, led by the controversial and outspoken Avigdor Lieberman, withdrew from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s ruling coalition. The coalition maintains a ruling majority - with 67 of 120 seats - but it was significantly slimmed by the loss of 11 seats.

Lieberman is a Russian immigrant living in a settlement in the West Bank. His hardliner views include opposing any negotiations over land and advocating that Israel take away the citizenship rights of its Arab population. “Our problem is not with the Palestinians but with Israeli Arabs,” he said.

From the NYTimes:

One veteran Israeli Arab legislator, Ahmed Tibi, said that Mr. Lieberman “gives racists around the world a bad name.”