Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman on Friday ruled out a scenario in which the haredim join the coalition.
"They certainly will not enter the government. I think it is not right to bring them in because they will not lend a hand to all the reforms we have made," Liberman said in an interview with the Ofira & Berkovic program which airs on Channel 12.
Asked about his relationship with Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas, whose party is affiliated with the Islamic Movement, Liberman replied, “Of course there are arguments and frictions, but as long as Mansour abides by the coalition agreement, I have no problem with him.”
He also commented on the breakthrough which allowed Israel to secure the release of Mordy and Natali Oknin from prison in Turkey, where they had been charged with espionage.
"For Erdogan, it is in his interests. He understands that the State of Israel is booming and accepted in the world and in Turkey, it is no secret, you can look at the economic situation and it is not very simple," Liberman stated and added, "There is no need to reconcile. Everyone needs to do what they are obliged to do. I am focusing on the economy."
Liberman complimented the government's handling of the situation and said he believed that the relationship with Turkey would not change as a result of the Oknin saga.
"Hats off to the Foreign Ministry, the Foreign Minister to the Prime Minister and his office who treated this issue in a solid manner and quietly," he said and, in response to a question about a possible change in the Turkish President's worldview, added, "We have no illusions about the nature of Erdogan's worldview. He understands that there is a need in terms of the economic situation in Turkey."
On his work so far as Finance Minister, Liberman said, "We gave a lot of money to the soldiers and to something that is very important to all of us - the IDF disabled veterans. When I came in this issue was stuck, but I did not wait for the budget. We gave over a million shekels to help combat and lone soldiers in undergraduate studies. Netanyahu had decided to freeze the money for the protection of the north for reasons of personal revenge. Despite this, we transferred five billion shekels there. I promise that we will do everything we can to reduce prices by the end of 2022."
Finally, he was asked whether he believes the rotation agreement between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid will be implemented.
"I have no doubt [that it will]. People understood that after the experience of Gantz and Netanyahu that it is important to respect agreements and that promises should be kept," he stated.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)