Lieberman Willing to Compromise on Draft Law to Form Government

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, stated he is prepared to compromise on the contentious draft law for ultra-Orthodox conscription to facilitate the formation of a new government. However, he emphasized that his party will not support a minority government reliant on the abstention of the Islamist Ra'am party or the Arab Joint List. Lieberman warned against the potential return of Benjamin Netanyahu to power following further elections and called for the establishment of a 61-member Knesset coalition.

Lieberman outlined three core principles for government formation: the end of Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure, the prevention of additional elections, and avoiding a government dependent on Ra'am or the Joint List. He indicated flexibility on all other issues, including the draft law, acknowledging the difficulty of such concessions. He proposed forming a 61-seat coalition initially without the two Arab parties, suggesting that afterward, three to four Likud members could be added.

Furthermore, Lieberman denied any discussions about a rotation agreement for the prime ministership, arguing such a mechanism harms state management. He attributed the "change bloc's" loss of seven to eight seats in the final campaign stretch, partly due to focus on the largest party and minority government possibilities, to Yisrael Beiteinu potentially losing three to four seats to the Likud. He cautioned that a minority government could lead to new elections and Netanyahu's return with a strong mandate, a scenario he fears, likening it to preventing a "third destruction of the home."

On November 2, Lieberman announced Yisrael Beiteinu would recommend Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister, despite criticizing Eisenkot's campaign. He participated in a November 3 meeting of the "change bloc" leaders to discuss government formation. Prior to the elections, he had already clarified his opposition to a minority government relying on Ra'am.