Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman told 'Meet the Press' Sunday evening that he will not sit in a government with Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties, and will not agree to a coalition relying on the Arab parties — even for abstentions. The statement narrows the coalition math ahead of expected coalition negotiations, as Liberman positions himself as a bloc unto himself.
Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman made two simultaneous red lines in his Sunday evening interview on N12's 'Meet the Press': he will not partner with Likud and the Haredi parties under Netanyahu, and he will not enable a coalition that relies on the Joint List or Ra'am — even for external support or abstentions. The double veto effectively rules out Liberman as a potential coalition partner for either a right-religious bloc (which needs him for a majority) or a center-left-Arab bloc (which needs his secular-right votes). Liberman's statement comes as coalition talks are expected to intensify following the Knesset swearing-in, with no bloc holding a clear 61-seat path. The remark is on the record and uncorrected across multiple reports; no party has yet formally responded.
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