Lieberman Calls for Rebellion Within Likud, Avoids Commitment on Arab Party Support
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, called for a rebellion within the Likud party to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking after exit polls, Lieberman expressed uncertainty about the final results, with many votes still uncounted. His party secured seven to eight seats, contributing to a slight lead for the "change bloc." Lieberman also avoided committing to whether he would rely on Arab party votes or potentially sit with Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman called for a rebellion within the Likud to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party is projected to win seven to eight seats in the election.
- He expressed uncertainty about final election results due to votes in double envelopes.
- Lieberman accused Netanyahu of acting like a "head of a crime organization."
- He avoided committing to whether he would rely on Arab party votes.
- Lieberman dodged questions about potentially sitting with Mansour Abbas and Ra'am.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, broke his silence after election exit polls, delivering a speech at his party's headquarters. He expressed uncertainty about the accuracy of the polls, noting that around 15 Knesset seats are still held in double envelopes, with final results not expected until Friday morning or later. Lieberman's party, according to exit polls, secured seven to eight seats, contributing to a slight advantage for the "change bloc" over Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, though the Likud remained the largest party.
Lieberman accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of behaving like a "head of a crime organization" and crossing "all red lines," citing disruptions to WhatsApp and SMS messages. He urged members of the Likud to "raise the banner of rebellion" within the party to replace Netanyahu, arguing this would facilitate the formation of a "Zionist coalition." He claimed to have received numerous calls from Likud members who believe Netanyahu must be removed, stating, "The man has destroyed the national camp and is ruining everything good."
He also criticized Channel 14 and Netanyahu supporters for inciting against him, vowing to establish a "Zionist coalition" and end incitement. Lieberman emphasized the importance of forming a government committed to Zionist values, aiming to build a "model movement." He did not commit to specific next steps regarding coalition formation, stating he would wait for the final results and then deliberate.
Furthermore, Lieberman avoided committing to whether he would rely on the votes of Arab parties in future moves, and specifically dodged questions about potentially sitting with Mansour Abbas and the Ra'am party. The Yisrael Beiteinu chairman, who has led the party since its founding in 1999, has previously held senior government positions including Defense Minister, Foreign Minister, and Finance Minister. His party's peak performance was 15 seats in 2009, and in the previous election, it won six seats.
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