Lieberman Calls for Rebellion Within Likud Party
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, called on Likud members to rebel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing personal and familial interests as Netanyahu's motivation. Exit polls suggested Yisrael Beiteinu would win seven to nine seats, falling short of a majority for any bloc. Lieberman reiterated his refusal to join or support a minority government or one including Arab parties, despite opposition figures suggesting potential alliances to control the Knesset.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman urged Likud members to rebel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Exit polls indicated Yisrael Beiteinu would win seven to nine Knesset seats.
- Lieberman ruled out supporting a minority government or one with Arab parties.
- Opposition parties, including Arab ones, appeared to have a significant majority.
- Activists discussed potential interim government scenarios and controlling Knesset committees.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, urged Knesset members from the Likud party on Tuesday evening to rebel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking after the release of exit poll results, Lieberman stated that Netanyahu has no connection to Ze'ev Jabotinsky or the Revisionist movement, asserting that the prime minister is guided solely by personal and familial interests. Lieberman called on Likud members to "raise the banner of rebellion," stating, "We expect it."
Lieberman expressed hope that the final results would present a "more optimistic" picture than the initial polls, which indicated that the "Gush Eizenkot" bloc would not secure a majority of 61 Knesset seats. He reiterated his previous stance against forming a minority government, even for a transitional period. While exit polls suggested the opposition could command a significant majority of around 70 seats, this figure includes Arab parties, with whom Lieberman has ruled out cooperation.
Yisrael Beiteinu activists gathered at Tel Aviv Convention Center to watch the exit poll broadcasts. Earlier, they had expressed cautious optimism, predicting 10 to 11 mandates for the party. One young activist from Jerusalem emphasized the importance of preventing Haredi parties from joining the government and indicated a willingness to accept a government with external support from Ra'am, but not the Joint List, which he likened to Hamas.
As exit poll results predicting seven to nine mandates for Yisrael Beiteinu were announced, applause was heard, though an underlying sense of disappointment was palpable among party officials and senior activists, with some describing the situation as a "catastrophe." Later, activists discussed the possibility of forming an interim government with the support of Ra'am to replace the current Knesset Speaker, Amir Ohana of Likud. They suggested that while cooperation with Arab parties on issues like crime in Arab society might be possible, Lieberman's firm opposition to a government including Arab parties remained. Some activists envisioned a scenario where controlling Knesset committees could pressure Likud, potentially leading to defectors and eventually an unity government with Eizenkot or even Lieberman as prime minister.
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