Liberman distances himself from opposition allies, pushes for unity government - report

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman has reportedly cut ties with opposition allies Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot and is pushing for a unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to an N12 News report. Liberman's party is projected to win seven Knesset seats.

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman has reportedly cut ties with the opposition bloc and is pushing for a unity government, according to a Wednesday N12 News report. Liberman cut off contact with former prime minister and B'Yachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, refusing to answer phone calls from his opposition counterparts since the day after the October 27 elections. Liberman's party is projected to enter the Knesset with seven seats. He had previously called on Attorney-General Gali Baharv-Miara to open a criminal probe into Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allegedly trying to draw the IDF into a military confrontation to delay the election. Liberman lost ground to Bennett, whose B'Yachad party absorbed his mandates, and his strategy of relying on Likud fracturing from within did not pay off. According to N12, Liberman does not intend to cross over to the Netanyahu bloc himself and prefers that Eisenkot does so alone. Maariv reported that Netanyahu is considering forming a unity government with Eisenkot. N12 said sources close to Liberman say he is 'choosing to lie in wait' for a security escalation that could open realignment opportunities.