Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman has set two clear conditions ahead of negotiations over the formation of Israel's next government: He will not join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, nor will he participate in establishing a government dependent on the support of Arab parties.
Channel 12 News reported that Liberman is currently not holding talks with his partners in the anti-Netanyahu bloc. The day after the elections, he cut off contact with Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot and did not answer phone calls from figures within the bloc.
According to the report, Liberman would prefer that if one of the opposition bloc's leaders decides to join Netanyahu, it be Gadi Eisenkot rather than himself.
Despite his refusal to join Netanyahu, Liberman also does not currently believe there is a realistic possibility of replacing Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana given the political makeup resulting from the elections, although other figures in the opposition bloc are exploring that option.
In light of the conditions he has set regarding cooperation with Netanyahu and the Arab parties, Liberman has chosen for now to wait for further developments rather than commit to a new political initiative.