Lieberman Rules Out Minority Government, Warns of 'Third Temple Destruction'

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, issued a dramatic statement on Friday addressing rumors of him forming a government with ultra-Orthodox parties. Lieberman stated that "we must prevent the destruction of the Third Temple" and that election results necessitate a reassessment, as there are no easy solutions. He emphasized the need to learn from past mistakes, citing his accurate warnings in December 2016 about a potential invasion of Gaza settlements and his prediction before the recent elections that a "big party" campaign and talk of a minority government would harm the "change bloc."

Lieberman claimed that the "change bloc" lost seven to eight Knesset seats in the final ten days of the election campaign, with three to four of those seats returning to Likud, making it the largest party. He warned that a minority government would be short-lived, leading to Benjamin Netanyahu's return with 70 seats for another four years, a path he believes leads to "the destruction of the Third Temple."

He outlined three clear boundaries: ending the Netanyahu era, avoiding further elections, and not forming a government reliant on the abstention of the Joint List and Ra'am. Lieberman reiterated his firm opposition to a government depending on the abstention of the Joint List and Ra'am, stating Yisrael Beiteinu would vote against such a government.

Lieberman also clarified that he has not discussed rotation agreements with anyone, viewing the rotation mechanism as detrimental to state governance. He advocated for forming a coalition of 61 Knesset members without the Joint List or Ra'am, potentially adding three to four Likud members afterward, which he considers the only strategy serving Israel's national interest and the Jewish people, leading to a stable four-year government.