13 April 2011 Last updated at 11:31 ET

Avigdor Lieberman pans Hamas in toilet interview

By Wyre Davies BBC News, Jerusalem

An excerpt of the Avigdor Lieberman interview, in Hebrew, courtesy Reshet Bet radio

Israel's outspoken foreign minister has chosen a novel way of making a point in a radio interview - apparently flushing the toilet live on the air.

Avigdor Lieberman was referring to the Palestinian Islamist group, Hamas, at the time.

Mr Lieberman, who leads the right-wing Israel Our Home Party, is no stranger to controversy.

He has often upset Israel's Arab minority and liberal groups with his forthright manner of speaking.

Now his critics say the former nightclub bouncer has sunk to new depths, by apparently flushing his toilet in a live radio interview.

Mr Lieberman's distinctly undiplomatic intervention came during a discussion about the Islamist group Hamas.

It may have been an odd way for the foreign minister to get his point across, but his methods aren't harming him in the opinion polls.

Although he is facing allegations of corruption, support for Mr Lieberman's ultra-nationalist party is growing and he is unlikely to care what his opponents think about his antics on the toilet.