Your editorial "Netanyahu's loose cannon" (May 31) has a number of factual mistakes and omissions.
First, Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteynu Party is not "an ultra-nationalist religious party." It is in fact a secular party, based primarily on Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who are overwhelmingly secular. Indeed, the party has long sought to weaken the power of Israel's religious establishment.
Second, it is wrong to call the party "ultranationalist" since Mr. Lieberman himself has called for a two-state solution and has said he would be willing to give up his home in the West Bank if a proper peace agreement could be achieved.
It is true that he has questions about the loyalty of Israel's Arab citizens. But as long as many Israeli-Arab leaders, particularly in the Balad faction of the Arab United List Party, make common cause with Hamas and Hezbollah — two organizations sworn to Israel's destruction — his concern is understandable.
Finally, while one can justifiably question whether Mr. Lieberman has the necessary background to assume the critical position of Israel's Defense Minister, to call him a "loose cannon" is unfair.
Robert O. Freedman, Baltimore
The writer is a visiting professor of political science at the Johns Hopkins University.