Liberman Isolates Rivals As Unity Talks Surface

Avigdor Liberman has severed communication with fellow opposition leaders as he maneuvers toward a potential unity government, according to a report by N12 News. The Yisrael Beytenu chairman is pursuing this path while continuing to reject an invitation to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s current coalition.

The reported break in contact began on Wednesday, the day after the general election. N12 stated that Liberman has not answered calls from Naftali Bennett, who leads the B’Yachad party, or Gadi Eisenkot, the chairman of Yashar. These two leaders had previously been part of Liberman’s group of opposition contacts.

Liberman entered the campaign with the goal of becoming prime minister, but the final counts did not match his pre-election projections. Current tallies indicate Yisrael Beytenu will secure seven seats in the Knesset. This number is lower than the nine seats suggested by polls before the vote. N12 reported that Bennett’s party benefited from Liberman’s loss, capturing mandates that were expected to go to Yisrael Beytenu.

Liberman’s electoral strategy also relied on internal divisions within the Likud party. That anticipated fracture did not occur, and official results show Netanyahu’s party remaining the largest faction in the parliament. Despite these outcomes, Liberman has maintained his opposition to entering Netanyahu’s bloc.

He recently requested that Attorney-General Gali Baharv-Miara launch a criminal investigation into the prime minister. The request concerned allegations that Netanyahu sought to involve the Israel Defense Forces in a military confrontation to delay the election. N12 reported that Liberman prefers Eisenkot to move into Netanyahu’s bloc alone rather than leading that shift himself.

A separate report by Maariv, published on Thursday, cited sources close to Netanyahu who said the prime minister is considering forming a unity government with Eisenkot. Sources close to Liberman told N12 that he is choosing to lie in wait. They linked this approach to the possibility of a security escalation, which could create opportunities for political realignment.