Shas chairman and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said Thursday afternoon said he did not believe that Avigdor Liberman would refuse to join a right-wing government until it happened.
"I feel obligated as head of the second largest movement, as someone who was deeply involved in the negotiations, to explain to the citizens what happened," Deri said.at the start of a Shas faction meeting.
"Netanyahu poured out his heart after the elections. He was very hurt and told me that he could not form a government because he knew that Liberman was determined not to let him establish it," he added.
"I thought I was hearing hallucinatory things. I told him he was wrong. This is the first time I felt extorted," the Shas chairman said. "We did not know that we had such an ideological opponent. I feel attacked and hurt. One man decided to drag Israel to elections because of hatred. It pains me."
Minister Deri stressed that even after the next elections, Shas will support Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. "As we proved in the last elections, whoever votes for Shas votes for Netanyahu and Shas. We will continue with the line and support Netanyahu and he is our only candidate."