Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman said Thursday afternoon that his party would not join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu or support a minority government, even if it were presented as a temporary transitional administration.
Speaking at a conference hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute, Liberman outlined his plans for the period following the elections, saying he intends to work toward forming a coalition composed exclusively of Zionist parties.
“In recent days, I have been asked several times about a national unity government. Our position is sharp and clear: We will form a coalition composed exclusively of Zionist parties. No Ra'am, no Joint List, no Shas, and no United Torah Judaism," he said.
Liberman stressed that the Likud without Netanyahu could be a significant coalition partner. “We will not sit with Netanyahu under any circumstances. We will not support any minority government, not even a minority government for a transitional period."
Despite the picture emerging from the polls, Liberman expressed confidence that a solid majority could be assembled after the elections.
“Let's look at the polls from the opposite perspective. In every poll I've seen, Likud does not exceed 18 to 20 seats. In the last election, it had 32 seats, meaning it has lost more than a third of its strength. It has no chance of forming a government. Its entire strategy is built around forming a blocking bloc. We will reach 61 seats or more for the change bloc," he said.
Liberman claimed he knew several Likud MKs who would be willing to join such a coalition and provide the majority needed to form a government.
According to Liberman, those MKs understand that Netanyahu has turned them into “subcontractors for Goldknopf and Deri," and would therefore be willing to join an initiative that would enable the coalition to be formed.
The Yisrael Beytenu chairman also addressed the Amcha Yisrael and Reservists-Economic parties, which have been hovering around the electoral threshold.
“They have no chance of passing the electoral threshold. Parties that have been scraping around the threshold for nearly two weeks have no chance. Anyone who votes for them is throwing their vote in the trash," he said.
Liberman also defended his proposal to deny the right to vote in Knesset elections to those who do not serve in the military or perform national service.
“There are precedents around the world. Someone who evades service, is not loyal to the state, and is unwilling to contribute anything to the country - why should they have the right to vote?" he asked.
“I believe that there are duties and there are rights. You cannot have rights without obligations. Therefore, someone who does not serve, who evades service or deserts, there is no reason for him to have the right to vote for the Knesset.
“Furthermore, in most democratic countries around the world, people serving prison sentences cannot vote. If we look at England and the US, in some states they cannot even vote in municipal elections. Here, there isn't enough room in the prisons. Once someone evades service or has a criminal record, their voting rights must be revoked on that basis," Liberman said.