Avigdor Lieberman Urges Rivals to Withdraw from Knesset Race to Avoid Vote Splitting

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, addressed the division among parties competing in the upcoming Knesset elections during a Tuesday interview on Radio 103FM. He directed a pointed message to politicians Hili Tropper, Yoaz Hendel, Gilad Erdan, Yuli Edelstein, and Benny Gantz, urging them to withdraw from the race. Lieberman argued that Tropper and Hendel had opportunities to join existing parties but chose not to, and he claimed none of these smaller factions have a realistic chance of passing the electoral threshold.

Lieberman warned that the persistence of small parties running independently could critically split votes, attributing this to personal ambitions rather than political strategy. He emphasized that Yisrael Beiteinu remains open to dialogue and advised these politicians against making what he called "foolish decisions."

Additionally, Lieberman commented on the recent Likud primaries, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of forming an alliance with ultra-Orthodox politicians Yoav Goldknopf and Aryeh Deri. He described the current Likud as a "lite ultra-Orthodox" party, controlled by ultra-Orthodox groups who traditionally do not vote for Likud in Knesset elections. Lieberman suggested Netanyahu is preparing for an anticipated loss and is focused on preventing a unified opposition from forming within the party.