Israeli hard-liner politician sworn-in as defense chief

Israel's ultranationalist lawmaker Avigdor Lieberman was sworn-in as defense minister on Monday evening after the Israeli parliament approved the nomination.

Fifty-five members of the Knesset (parliament) voted in favor of the nomination of the head of the far- right Yisrael Beytenu party and 43 lawmakers voted against it.

Shortly after he was sworn-in, Lieberman told Israeli reporters that he supports the two-state solution with the Palestinians.

He also lauded recent statements made by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about the need to restart peace talks, with the mediation of Arab states, with Egypt chiefly among them.

"Al-Sisi's speech was very important and created a real opportunity. We must pick up the gauntlet," Lieberman added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reiterated the Israeli government's "commitment to peace" while addressing the press.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli cabinet approved the nomination, and the addition of Lieberman's party to the governing coalition.

With the addition of Lieberman's party, Netanyahu increases his majority in the 120-member parliament from the previous 61-59 lead to a 66-54 one.

Netanyahu and Lieberman, who previously ran in a joint list in the 2013 election, announced earlier this month they are conducting negotiations for the latter to join the coalition.

Lieberman's addition to the government and his nomination to the post of defense chief triggered the resignation of former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon from Netanyahu's Likud party and Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabbay from the center-right in the past two weeks, who criticized the nomination of Lieberman.

The nomination had passed political hurdles, after the far-right Jewish Home party, a prominent member of Netanyahu's coalition, threatened to vote against the nomination and quit the coalition if their demands to make changes to Israel's security cabinet are not met in the past few days.

The appointment of Lieberman, one of the most polarizing politicians in Israel, to the sensitive position sparked concerns both in Israel and abroad.

The U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told journalists on Wednesday the new government "raises legitimate questions" about its commitment to finding a peaceful solution with the Palestinians.