MK Litzman
MK LitzmanFlash 90

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman (UTJ) on Tuesday said that he would not sit together in a coalition with MK Yair Lapid, Kikar Hashabbat reported.

Lapid is one of the leaders of the center-left "Blue and White" party.

On Tuesday, Israel's Maariv newspaper reported that varous UTJ sources had said that if Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu cannot form a coalition, they would be willing to join a coalition led by the Blue and White's Benny Gantz and Lapid - as long as they cancel the rotation planned for the role of prime minister.

On Tuesday morning Litzman responded to Maariv's article: "I don't dream of sitting in a coalition which has Lapid in it... I'm not a destroyer of Israel. Someone who can embarrass and shame me is not someone I'm friends with and I won't sit with him."

"I absolutely support Netanyahu and may he come out innocent."

Recently, sources close to Gantz have said that they are trying to hold talks with the haredi parties in an attempt to garner support, Kikar Hashabbat noted.

The site quoted Shas MK Michael Michaeli as saying Tuesday: "Shas is loyal to values and tradition, and will recommend PM Netanyahu for prime minister after the elections. We will not aid the creation of a Gantz-Lapid government. We expect UTJ to avoid the headlines."