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Lieberman will only support a unity government

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Avigdor Lieberman said yesterday he will only support a Prime Minister who forms a national unity government, putting in doubt the chances of Benjamin Netanyahu leading the next Government.

Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu party is currently predicted to win 9 seats in the September elections and could be the kingmaker in the next government. Lieberman said yesterday: “Likud has lost its way. [The party] lacks ideology or principles, it all revolves around a personality cult. It seems we have chosen a god to rule us. Likud is no different from [Blue and White] Kahol Lavan, Netanyahu is the same as [Benny] Gantz: Both would prefer a narrow government, including the ultra-Orthodox parties and Labour. In the event Likud and Kahol Lavan support a narrow government, I wouldn’t recommend Netanyahu or Gantz.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Lieberman wants Gantz to win and a vote for him was a vote for the Left.

Ehud Barak has called for more parties to merge on the centre-left. Last week Barak announced the merger of his newly formed Israel Democratic party with Meretz and former Labour MK Stav Shaffir. Yesterday Barak said: “There are only two days left. The union between us is needed and more possible than ever before. Gantz and [Yair] Lapid, Amir [Peretz] and Orly [Levy-Abekasis], Tzipi Livni, this is the last call. On September 18, when we get up in the morning and see who we got, you won’t be able to wash your hands of this if we missed our chance.”

The United Right has called on the Jewish Power party to join it. Both parties stood on a joint list in the April elections but Jewish Power left the alliance after United Right leader Rabbi Rafi Peretz refused to resign his Parliamentary seat so Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben Gvir could enter Parliament as set out in their merger agreement.

A poll by Hahadashot predicts that the Likud and Blue and White will both win 30 seats in the elections. BICOM’s poll of polls predicts the Likud will win 30 seats, Blue and White 28 seats, United Right 13 seats, Arab Joint List 11 seats, Yisrael Beitenu 9 seats, Democratic Union 9 seats, Shas 7 seats, UTJ 7 seats, and Labour 6 seats. Neither Netanyahu or Gantz have enough allies to form a 61 seat majority coalition without the support of Yisrael Beitenu.

The deadline for parties to submit their final lists for the elections is 1 August.