Netanyahu's advisor retired

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu's closest political advisor, Avigdor Lieberman, resigned yesterday, the first casualty of a mutiny against the prime minister within his own party.

Netanyahu announced he had accepted the resignation of his chief of staff. "He was tired of being everybody's punching bag," said David Appeal, an activist in Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party who is close to Lieberman.

Lieberman, a Russian immigrant, has been director-general of the prime minister's office since Netanyahu took office in June, 1996.