But Lieberman struck a deeper chord of Jewish discontent by railing against Arab citizens who marched with Hamas banners during antiwar demonstrations in Israel.
He also called for outlawing Arab parties whose leaders -- including the mayor and the member of parliament demonized in the video at the rally -- condemned the Israeli offensive.
About one-fifth of Israel's 7 million citizens are Arabs and a dozen serve in the 120-seat parliament. Many of their leaders want to define Israel as a binational state, with more control by Arabs over public institutions and their own communities, rather than as a Jewish state.
Lieberman condemns such advocacy as treasonous.
"We are under a coordinated attack of terror from within and from without," he declared Thursday night, drawing thunderous applause at the rally in this suburb of Haifa. "And the threats from within are even more dangerous."
Lieberman has long proposed swapping areas of Israel that are heavily populated by Arab citizens for parts of the West Bank that are populated by Jewish settlers.
His recent initiative, the theme of his campaign, calls for amending the citizenship law. It would require all citizens to sign an oath of loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state; accept its symbols, flag and anthem; and commit themselves to serving in the military or doing alternative service.
Anyone refusing to sign would lose citizenship rights, including the right to vote and to run for public office, but could remain in Israel on a residence permit.
"The dividing line does not run between Jew and Arab," Lieberman said at the rally, rejecting charges of racism. "The dividing line is between those who support terror and those who oppose it.
"In American schools, children pledge allegiance to flag and country every single morning," he added. "What's so bad about wanting to adopt the same norms?"
The 50-year-old firebrand, who once worked as a bar bouncer, has made a political career by cultivating a strongman image that appeals to many of his fellow immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who number about 1 million.
He has called for the execution of Arab lawmakers who have met with Hamas' leaders, and for the bombing of Palestinian gasoline stations, banks and commercial centers.
After landing in Israel in 1978, Lieberman joined the Likud Party while studying at Hebrew University. According to the newspaper Haaretz, the new immigrant also took a membership card from the far-right Kach party, which had been outlawed for its racist platform. Lieberman's campaign says the report is false.
