Liberman agenda against Netanyahu brought 3 elections, Likud accuses

“I’m tired of spending time on this guy,” Likud whip MK Miki Zohar told public radio, lambasting Israel Beiteinu leader MK Avigdor Liberman.

By World Israel News Staff 

As the Knesset paves the way for a third round of elections, the war of words continued among politicians from the various rival parties.

Likud whip MK Miki Zohar charged on Wednesday that Avigdor Liberman’s true agenda is to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The cat’s out of the bag,” Zohar told Kan public radio. “I’m tired of spending time on this guy.”

Zohar was responding to comments by Liberman insinuating that  Netanyahu wasn’t representing Israel but rather billionaires.

Liberman, who heads the Israel Beiteinu party, has been a thorn in the side of Netanyahu since he refused to join a Likud government after the first round of elections in April.

Netanyahu was certain that he had the numbers necessary to set up a government. He didn’t count on Liberman, who had been a more-or-less reliable partner on the right, turning against him.

Liberman argued that he wanted to put a stop to religious coercion in the government, and Netanyahu relies heavily on Orthodox parties.

Netanyahu argued shortly after he failed to form a government the first time that Liberman’s real agenda was personal in nature — that he wanted to bring about an end to the prime minister’s leadership.

The theme continued past the second election in September until Wednesday with Zohar’s comments.

Liberman has denied it’s a personal issue.

Israel’s political instability has lasted for nearly a year after the Knesset legislated on December 26, 2018 that an election take place on April 9.

Neither of the two main parties have garnered enough votes to form a government. Polls show similar results after a third election, which appears inevitable. The deadline to form one expires on Wednesday at midnight.

Even as the rhetoric has been flying back and forth, a last-minute ditch effort had been made to woo Liberman into a right-wing government. Liberman refused to budge, restating his position that he would only support a national unity coalition.

However, few are willing to predict what Liberman could do. Israel Hayom reports on Wednesday that the Blue and White party still fears a last-minute decision by Liberman to join a right-wing coalition.