Lieberman Calls for Likud Revolt Against Netanyahu

Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, broke his silence about 90 minutes after the publication of exit polls, commenting on the initial election results. He began his speech with self-deprecating humor, joking about needing a "doctor to lengthen his wick", an idiom for increasing patience. Lieberman explained that exit polls do not reflect the final picture, as approximately 15 mandates could depend on the counting of "double envelope" votes, with final results expected by Friday night or Saturday morning. He noted that exit polls showed a slight advantage for the bloc of parties seeking a change in government over Netanyahu's bloc, with Likud remaining the largest party and Yisrael Beiteinu projected to win 7 to 8 mandates. Lieberman believes that after counting the double envelope votes, the representation of Arab and ultra-Orthodox parties may decrease, leading to a more optimistic outcome than currently seen.

Lieberman described the election campaign as difficult, stating that Yisrael Beiteinu ran under "completely abnormal conditions" as a liberal-right party. He then sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of behaving like the head of a criminal organization and crossing "all red lines," citing "blocked fake messages on WhatsApp and mass SMS." He called for an internal revolt within the Likud party, urging its members, activists, and Knesset members to publicly voice their dissent against Netanyahu, whom he accused of destroying the national camp. Lieberman stated that dozens of Likud members had contacted him, insisting that Netanyahu must step down to save the national camp from a group focused on self-privilege.

He later criticized Channel 14 and Netanyahu's supporters for what he called a campaign of incitement against him, vowing to create a "Zionist coalition" and end the incitement. Lieberman did not commit to future coalition negotiations, stating he would wait for final results and consult on next steps. He also did not rule out relying on the support of Arab parties in forming a government. Lieberman concluded his speech, which was met with applause from supporters, by emphasizing the need to form a government committed to the values of the Zionist movement.

Lieberman founded Yisrael Beiteinu in 1999 and has led it for 27 years, holding numerous key government posts including Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Finance Minister, but never Prime Minister. The party peaked in 2009 with 15 mandates but has since struggled, receiving 6 seats in the previous election. This election cycle, the Yisrael Beiteinu list features more native-born Israelis, with four Russian-speaking immigrants in the top ten alongside Lieberman, including Yulia Malinovskaya, Evgeny Sova, and Elvira Kalikhman. Rafi Ben-Shitrit, a former mayor whose son died on October 7, 2023, holds the second position on the list.