Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman on Wednesday published a post on his Facebook page in which he reiterated his position that he will only be part of a unity government between the Likud and Blue and White.
“Since last night, after the results of the exit polls were published, I have been hearing all kinds of commentators and experts presenting all sorts of scenarios and trying to form imaginary coalitions,” wrote Liberman.
“In order not to waste your time, I want to make it clear: Yisrael Beytenu, as we have said throughout the election campaign, will sit only in a broad liberal national government that will consist of three parties – Yisrael Beytenu, the Likud and Blue and White.”
“If Gantz and Netanyahu do not state that this is their intention, they should not even bother to call me. As far as we are concerned, there is no other option,” stressed Liberman.
“In order to remove from the agenda another scenario presented by ‘coalition builders’ of various kinds, I stress: we will not sit in any government with the Joint List or with the Arab parties, together or separately, neither in this universe nor in a parallel universe,” he clarified.
“I say sharply and clearly to Netanyahu and Gantz: Don't waste your time, try to negotiate about this or apply pressure.”
“We will not concede on the passing of the Draft Law, as it was originally written, we will not concede on repealing the Supermarket Law, we will not concede on public transportation on Shabbat, we will not concede on civil marriages, and the introduction of core studies into haredi education. These are the conditions, and until we hear things in that spirit - there's nothing to talk about.”
“Throughout the election campaign we heard a discourse of hatred from the haredi parties. We are political rivals but not enemies, and the statements we heard from [Moshe] Gafni, who called me Amalek, should not be made. Everyone knows what Amalek's fate was and I will not elaborate. We want a normal country, where citizens will live by the principle of ‘live and let live’. I do not want to open supermarkets on Shabbat in Bnei Brak, and I do not want to close supermarkets on Shabbat in Ashdod, period.”
“The key is now in the hands of the President. He must take a much more active role in forming the coalition. I think he should call Prime Minister Netanyahu and MK Gantz this week for a meeting from which a message of unity emerges.”
“We are not concerned that a unity government will be established without us. We are concerned about the State of Israel. Of course we would like to be part of the next coalition, but we will also settle for the opposition if it serves the good of the country at this time,” concluded Liberman.