Former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will go on trial next month on charges of fraud and breach of trust.

The Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ruled that the trial of the Yisrael Beiteinu party leader will begin Feb. 17.

Lieberman resigned at the end of December as foreign minister shortly before his indictment on charges of fraud and breach of trust for allegedly advancing the position of Zeev Ben Aryeh, Israel’s former ambassador to Belarus, in exchange for information on an investigation against him.

Lieberman, who is No. 2 on the combined Knesset list of his party and Likud, said in a January Army Radio interview that he would resign from politics if he is convicted. — jta