Deri, Yishai and Atias of Shas
Deri, Yishai and Atias of ShasFlash90

The Likud Beytenu’s negotiating team has rejected reports that it is seeking to bring the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) and Yesh Atid parties into the coalition while leaving the hareidi-religious parties out.

“In contrast to reports published over the past day according to which the Prime Minister is planning to create a narrow government, the negotiating team will continue its efforts to create a broad-based government,” said attorney David Shimron and accountant Moshe Lion, who run the negotiations.

The coalition Netanyahu hopes to see “will include both the hareidi parties and the Jewish Home, and hopefully Yesh Atid and Kadima as well,” they stated.

Likud Beytenu’s number two, former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, made a similar statement earlier in the day. “We still haven’t given up on the hareidi parties,” Lieberman told Army Radio (Galei Tzahal). “There’s a real change that they will join.”

“There is a chance that the Labor party will join, too,” he added. “A smaller chance, but it exists.”

“Most of the Jewish Home and Labor party voters want to see their parties in the government,” he argued.

Lieberman dismissed reports that the long process of coalition building indicates that Netanyahu’s leadership is already in trouble. “I can’t recall any government that was established within 28 days,” he said.