OMM Newsroom
Following last week’s election in Israel, which left the opposition facing a political deadlock, its leader Avigdor Liberman said he supports Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister. Liberman ruled out joining any government led by Netanyahu, AnewZ reported.
At a news conference on Monday in Modi'in, Liberman said his Yisrael Beiteinu party would support Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, in forming a new government.
He said they would not support a minority government, warning that it could collapse within a year and pave the way for Netanyahu’s return to power. “I will not be part of the same government as Netanyahu,” Liberman said.
No coalition agreement reached after election
Last week’s parliamentary election produced a fragmented Knesset, with neither side securing a clear path to power.
In the 120-seat parliament, Netanyahu’s bloc won 53 seats, opposition parties won 48, and Arab parties took 19. At least 61 seats are required to form a government. Although opposition and Arab lawmakers hold a combined 67 seats, they have yet to reach a coalition agreement.
Liberman acknowledged that the opposition’s election result fell well short of expectations. “The opposition suffered a crushing defeat in the election. Winning 48 seats was far below our expectations,” he said, while also criticising Eisenkot and his team.
Liberman to back Lapid for Knesset speaker
Liberman said Yisrael Beiteinu would support former Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s bid to become Knesset speaker when the newly elected parliament begins work on November 10. “We will support Yair Lapid’s candidacy for Knesset speaker,” he said.
The opposition is seeking to remove current speaker Amir Ohana, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, accusing him of violating parliamentary rules.
Support for Eisenkot is also growing among other opposition groups. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Together bloc has backed his candidacy. Yair Golan’s Democrats party is also said to be considering a similar move. Arab lawmakers have indicated they could support Eisenkot to prevent Netanyahu from returning to power.
