Report: Netanyahu Considering Temporary Gov’t Without Liberman

As coalition negotiations hit a brick wall and the deadline for establishment of a government grows closer, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is considering setting up a temporary government of just 60 MKs – without Yisrael Beytenu – and to continue to work to bring Avigdor Liberman’s party into the government, Yediot Acharonot reported.

A similar situation arose in 2015, when Netanyahu set up a government of 61 MKs, also without Yisrael Beytenu, which later joined the coalition then as well. The difference was that there were 61 MKs who were members to vote the government into power; if Netanyahu wants to do the same thing now, he will have to convince at least one Yisrael Beytenu MK, or a member of the opposition, to vote for establishment of the government, or to at least not vote against it.

Sources in Yisrael Beytenu said Wednesday that the party would not vote for a government that it was not part of. The sources did not say if they would vote against it. Liberman has said several times both before and after the election that Netanyahu is the only option for prime minister.

On Wednesday, Liberman blamed the failure to establish a government on chareidi parties.”Over the past two days I have heard endless threats from chareidi MKs that they will go to new elections or try to form a government without us,” he wrote in a social media post. “Take us seriously. Those who will be looking for someone to blame if we do not establish a rightwing government should look in the mirror, not at us.”