Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu, said that the country will
not have a new election and that a government will be formed even if
right now the make up of the government is not clear. With regard to
Naftali Bennett and Bayit Yehudi party's demand to cancel the coalition
agreement with the Tzipi Livni Party, Liberman said that the deal was
signed and so it will be honored.
When the Tzipi Livni Party
joined the coalition two weeks ago, Bayit Yehudi responded to the
announcement of Livni joining the coalition by saying it alienated the
party from the government.
“A government with one of the major
supporters of the Gaza disengagement, who is in favor of dividing
Jerusalem, is not a right-wing government,” the party stated.
The
deal with Livni to enter the coalition was in exchange for her becoming
justice minister and leader of negotiations with the Palestinian
Authority.
Yesh Atid, which coordinates with the Bayit Yehudi
in coalition talks, plans to make similar demands to change the deal
with Livni in negotiations that are set to continue today. Yesh Atid
opposes the fact that Livni’s party received two ministries, which means
one for every three MKs, because Yesh Atid believes the government
should have no more than 18 ministers.
On the possibility of other parties joining the
coalition, Liberman said that he wanted "a coalition that is as wide as
possible - including the Labor party, and the haredim.".
However, on Wednesday, Labor chief Shelly Yacimovich stated
that there was a "massive gap" in the positions between her party and
Netanyahu and that it would take a complete turnaround in the prime
minister's position before Labor would consider joining a Netanyahu-led
coalition.
Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu, said that the country will
not have a new election and that a government will be formed even if
right now the make up of the government is not clear. With regard to
Naftali Bennett and Bayit Yehudi party's demand to cancel the coalition
agreement with the Tzipi Livni Party, Liberman said that the deal was
signed and so it will be honored.
When the Tzipi Livni Party
joined the coalition two weeks ago, Bayit Yehudi responded to the
announcement of Livni joining the coalition by saying it alienated the
party from the government.
“A government with one of the major
supporters of the Gaza disengagement, who is in favor of dividing
Jerusalem, is not a right-wing government,” the party stated.
The
deal with Livni to enter the coalition was in exchange for her becoming
justice minister and leader of negotiations with the Palestinian
Authority.
Yesh Atid, which coordinates with the Bayit Yehudi
in coalition talks, plans to make similar demands to change the deal
with Livni in negotiations that are set to continue today. Yesh Atid
opposes the fact that Livni’s party received two ministries, which means
one for every three MKs, because Yesh Atid believes the government
should have no more than 18 ministers.
On the possibility of other parties joining the
coalition, Liberman said that he wanted "a coalition that is as wide as
possible - including the Labor party, and the haredim.".
However, on Wednesday, Labor chief Shelly Yacimovich stated
that there was a "massive gap" in the positions between her party and
Netanyahu and that it would take a complete turnaround in the prime
minister's position before Labor would consider joining a Netanyahu-led
coalition.
Joint chief of Shas Eli Yishai wrote on his Facebook page today that whoever comes to serve the public "can do so from anywhere" hinting at his party's willingness to sit in the opposition. Referring to reports that Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party and Naftali Bennett's Bayit Yehudi would not sit in a government with his party, Yishai added that he was upset over attempts by some elements "to come out against the world of Torah and its representatives." Both Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi are demanding that haredim share state burdens more equally with the rest of the population.
On the Palestinian issue, Liberman said that the
Americans understand the existing circumstances and understand that the
conflict needs to be managed, not solved.
Commenting on the
Iranian nuclear talks that ended in Kazakhtan on Wednesday, Liberman
said that the talks give a green light for Iran to continue it's nuclear
program. "We have no illusions about Iran's intentions to drag out the
process and waste time," Liberman said on Wednesday,
as he called for the six powers - the UK, US, Russia, China, France and
Germany - to take "more practical steps" to stop Iran from obtaining
nuclear weapons.
Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.