Lieberman Sets Ultimatum for Future Israeli Coalition, Declares Red Lines
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, has issued an ultimatum for the next Israeli coalition, refusing to negotiate with the 'Block of Change' and ruling out cooperation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lieberman insists on an exclusively Zionist coalition and prioritizes establishing a state inquiry commission and passing a universal conscription law. He stated Likud could be a partner without Netanyahu, but refused to negotiate with Netanyahu under any circumstances. The party also criticized Gadi Eisenkot's campaign strategy.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avigdor Lieberman will not negotiate with the 'Block of Change' or cooperate with PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Lieberman demands an exclusively Zionist coalition, excluding Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox/Arab parties.
- Yisrael Beiteinu criticizes Gadi Eisenkot's campaign for harming the opposition bloc.
- Lieberman's priorities for the next government are a state inquiry and universal military conscription.
- Lieberman previously warned that uniting opposition candidates could weaken their position.
Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has refused to negotiate with the leaders of the 'Block of Change' and stated he will not compromise on the composition of the future Israeli coalition. Lieberman outlined his conditions for participating in the formation of the next government, emphasizing his commitment to pre-election promises regardless of the vote results.
According to Maariv, Lieberman has not yet held talks with the 'Block of Change' leaders post-election. Within Yisrael Beiteinu, there has been sharp criticism of Gadi Eisenkot's campaign strategy, with some believing it prioritized personal political interests and harmed the broader opposition bloc. A meeting between Lieberman and Likud voters the day before the election, where attendees indicated they did not want Eisenkot as prime minister, was cited as an example.
Lieberman has also ruled out cooperation with current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with a party representative stating he would not join a government even if offered the premiership first in a rotation. This stance extends to ultra-Orthodox and Arab parties, as Lieberman insists on forming an exclusively Zionist coalition. He indicated that Likud could be a significant partner, but only without Netanyahu at its head, stating, "Likud without Netanyahu can be a significant partner. With Netanyahu, let the world turn upside down, we will not sit at the negotiating table under any circumstances."
Lieberman reiterated his pre-election promises on social media platform X and identified two priorities for the next government: establishing a state commission of inquiry into recent events and passing a law for universal military conscription. He declared that a coalition not prioritizing these two points would be meaningless.
Previously, Lieberman had warned that uniting opposition forces around a single candidate might weaken rather than strengthen their position, citing the Bennett-Lapid alliance as an example that did not yield the expected electoral results. This comes as parties are reportedly engaged in a struggle for a Knesset majority, facing significant obstacles in coalition building.
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