Liberman Berates Interviewer Over Opposition Unity Strategy

Avigdor Liberman, leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, became incensed during an interview on 103FM radio with host Nissim Mashal. Mashal questioned why the bloc opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not presenting a single agreed-upon candidate for prime minister.

Liberman vehemently disagreed with Mashal's premise, stating, "You are mistaken and misleading and simply do not understand this subject." He argued that each party must maximize its own potential and that uniting behind a single leader prematurely would cost the bloc votes. "If we focus around one leader, we will lose three mandates as a bloc. All the models say this," Liberman asserted.

When Mashal pressed, suggesting Liberman's own ambition to be prime minister might be harming the bloc, Liberman responded, "My goal is first and foremost to bring a crushing victory to the bloc, and I must maximize my mandate because it is very different from Gadi's and from Bennett's. Once we bring enough mandates, we will know, within one day, how to arrange the map."

Liberman further criticized Mashal's understanding, stating, "I have no ego, but I have experience, more than you, certainly in the political field." He warned that uniting behind one leader now would end like the union between Bennett and Lapid, resulting in a loss. Liberman insisted that his approach would lead to a decisive victory for the opposition bloc.