Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman met Sunday with Yashar! party chairman Gadi Eisenkot but refused to commit to recommending him to form the next government, Kan Reshet Bet reported.
The meeting took place as part of ongoing political negotiations following the elections. A day earlier, Liberman also met with current opposition leader Yair Lapid.
Alongside the question of whom to recommend for prime minister, another dispute is emerging over the identity of the next Knesset Speaker. Liberman is demanding that Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer be appointed to the position on behalf of the anti-Netanyahu bloc.
The demand presents the bloc's party leaders with a political challenge: On the one hand, the Arab parties are expected to oppose Forer's appointment. On the other hand, there are concerns that if his candidacy is rejected, Liberman could move to block the election of any other candidate for the position.
Meanwhile, sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have conveyed a message to Eisenkot that Likud is willing to explore options for forming a joint government, but only if efforts to replace incumbent Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana are halted.
However, sources close to Eisenkot have rejected Likud's condition, clarifying that the effort to replace Ohana will proceed as planned, and that joining a government headed by Netanyahu is not under consideration.