Avigdor Liberman Rejects Netanyahu and Minority Governments
Avigdor Liberman announced Yisrael Beytenu will not support Benjamin Netanyahu or any minority government following the October 27 elections.
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman announced Thursday that his party will not support any minority government or join a coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the October 27 elections. Liberman stated that any future coalition must consist exclusively of Zionist parties, explicitly ruling out Arab parties such as Ra’am and the Joint List, as well as ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism.
While Liberman refused to serve under Netanyahu, he indicated that the Likud party could be a significant partner if Netanyahu is no longer its leader. This position complicates the path for Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot, who is a potential prime minister candidate for the opposition bloc.
Current polling suggests that neither the Netanyahu-led bloc nor the opposition bloc can secure a 61-seat majority without support from Arab parties, making Liberman's refusal to support a minority government a significant hurdle for coalition formation.
