Avigdor Liberman
Avigdor LibermanYisrael Beytenu spokeperson

MK Avigdor Liberman, chairman of the Yisrael Beytenu party, on Wednesday criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's conduct in recent weeks.

"Anyone with common sense understands that we are already in the midst of an election campaign," Liberman told Radio 103FM in an interview, referring to Netanyahu's speech in the Knesset. "This is a speech by the Prime Minister which is intended for an election, and is in sync with his wife's interview on Channel 12 News. It is clear that we are in an election campaign, and I said that a few weeks ago."

Commenting on the crises in the current unity government, Liberman criticized the leaders of the Blue and White Party, Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi, saying, "They too can no longer be believed. They built an outline for a unity government, and for some reason decided to run and join Netanyahu's fifth government. In my last conversation with Benny Gantz, I told him ‘you are done’. I told him he did something that should not be done, and that he would be the first to pay the price. That is exactly what happened."

Liberman subsequently explained why, in his opinion, Netanyahu is interested in another election. "It is clear that Netanyahu does not intend to arrive at his trial that is due to start in January. He wants to reach 62 seats on November 18, and then pass the Overrule Clause and the French Law. And if he fails to do so, I think he will go for a plea bargain."

"Netanyahu is crushing the Israeli economy. Beyond Netanyahu's desire to drag the country to elections solely because of his private, personal and legal problems, the very fact that one person can drag an entire country to elections four times in two years is a systemic failure," he charged.

If indeed another election is approaching, Liberman emphasized his principles and said, "My goal is very clear - a Zionist and liberal coalition, as Jabotinsky planned. We will not sit in a coalition without clear things like civil marriage, public transportation on Shabbat, core studies and drafting of yeshiva students, just as under no circumstances will we sit in a minority government supported by the Joint List from the outside."