Finance Minister and chairman of the Yisrael Beytenu Party, Avigdor Liberman, on Sunday evening denied a report which claimed he is trying to join the new government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
Journalist Jacob Bardugo reported earlier on RadioGaley Israel, "Evet Liberman is begging to find a way to enter the government. Since this morning he has been doing everything to find his way in."
Minister Liberman responded to the report and wrote, "The tireless liar Jacob Bardugo continues to faithfully serve Netanyahu and spread lies and fabrications on everything related to Yisrael Beytenu and Avigdor Liberman. Everything Smotrich said about Netanyahu (a reference to a recently leaked recording of Smotrich calling Netanyahu a “liar” -ed.) is several times truer when it comes to the main court reporter."
Meanwhile, in the first negotiations meeting between prime minister-elect Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionist Party chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday, the latter laid out his minimum demands to join the new government.
Smotrich is demanding either the defense or finance portfolios and has clarified that he will not settle for any less important portfolio. In addition, Smotrich backed up MK Itamar Ben Gvir's demand to receive the public security portfolio.
The Religious Zionist Party chair also requests to expand the override clause and with a normal majority of 61 MKs.
Netanyahu is set to meet with Otzma Yehudit chairman MK Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday.