Binyamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman announced Thursday evening in a joint news conference that they would join forces in a unified party.
Netanyahu explained that Israel would be better off with a strong coalition that leans on a strong party. "We ask the public for a clear mandate to carry out the social and economic changes that the nation of Israel expects, and justifiably so," he said.
"There is a lot that needs to be done," Netanyahu added. "First and foremost – bring down the cost of living. This is the time to project strength in the face of our enemies and unity within us. The prime minister of Israel needs a large, united force behind him."
Lieberman also said that the challenges facing Israel "require one thing – governability and stability." Lieberman said that the coalition of the past four years was one of the most stable in Israel's history, if not the most stable. "We spoke about a reform in government," he said. "Real governmental reform begins today."
"We are giving the citizens of Israel a real opportunity to stabilize the government," he said.
Both parties denied a Channel 2 report that the Netanyahu and Lieberman agreed upon rotation in the prime minister's seat, with Lieberman replacing Netanyahu in the coalition's fourth year.