Eli Cohen
Eli CohenAviv Hertz, TPS

Economy Minister Eli Cohen (Likud) warned that anyone who votes for the MK Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu party is "voting for a fourth round of elections."

At a Shabbatarbut (political and cultural forums that take place on the Sabbath) event in the central city of Givatayim, Cohen explained that in order to avoid further elections, the public needs to vote according whether it believes Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should be prime minister, or Blue and White Chairman MK Benny Gantz should fill the role.

"If we want to avoid a fourth round of elections, there is one way to do it," he said. "Anyone who is for a right-wing nationalist government should vote for Netanyahu, and anyone who is for a leftist and Arab government should vote for Gantz. And therefore, anyone who votes for Liberman is voting for a fourth round of elections, because he doesn't support one, and he doesn't support the other."

Yisrael Beytenu, formerly considered to be part of the right-wing nationalist camp, has refused to support anything other than a unity government consisting of the Likud and Blue and White parties.

Cohen also criticized Blue and White for refusing to compromise and enter a unity government with Netanyahu.

"They are willing and held discussions with [Joint Arab List Chairman MK Ahmad] Tibi - but it's 'anyone except Netanyahu'," he said. "Netanyahu served in Sayeret Matkal (an elite IDF unit - ed.), his family is a bereaved family, he contributed to the State - with him, it's not okay [to sit]."