Avigdor Liberman: If Netanyahu would pressure haredim, there could be a coalition

Liberman added that he did not want to enter into a debate between Netanyahu and Blue and White about who would serve first in any rotation.

By ANNA BARSKY
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman declared that he was ready to join a right-wing ultra-Orthodox government and form a stable 63-member coalition - if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was willing to pressure the ultra-Orthodox parties to settle on a number of religious and state issues. Liberman was interviewed on Thursday by Radio Reka (Israel Radio International),
"Netanyahu is not prepared to pressure the ultra-Orthodox to move in our direction. He's also not ready to be separated from them. This is the main obstacle to forming a coalition," Liberman said, adding, "Conversions, civil marriage, public transportation on Saturday - these are the issues that matter to us. Netanyahu is not prepared to give us anything. "
Liberman added that he did not want to enter into a debate between Netanyahu and Blue and White about who would serve first in any rotation: "Netanyahu could agree that Gantz will serve first, and in the meantime it would take time to handle his legal matters. It's an incomprehensible tenacity," Liberman said. His remarks contradict earlier statements that the only option he would consider is a unity government.

Meanwhile, Likud MK Miki Zohar tweeted to his party head Netanyahu to invite Liberman to a meeting earlier on Thursday. Right with Lieberman. Zohar also declared on Thursday that the Likud's chances of forming a unity government with Blue and White were zero. In an interview with on Army Radio, he suggested that Lieberman should even rotate the prime minister.
Translated by Alex Winston


Related Tags
Yisrael Beyteinu