Lieberman endorses Eisenkot and supports Lapid for Knesset Speaker: Religious Zionism–Zehut, the smallest faction, will be the first to arrive for consultations with the president, a departure from previous practice. Shas will recommend Netanyahu, and the Democrats will endorse Eisenkot. Leaders of the Change Bloc are due to meet today in Herzliya.
Avigdor Lieberman said Yisrael Beiteinu received 337,413 votes, almost 124,000 more than in the previous election. He said he had met key figures in both the opposition and coalition since the election and rejected reports that, in his view, misrepresented his position.
Lieberman said voters had known exactly what they were supporting because he had spoken clearly throughout the campaign. He reiterated that he would not join a government with Netanyahu, even if offered the first term in a rotation agreement, and would neither participate in nor support a minority government.
He said he would not prolong negotiations and was trying to act fairly and responsibly. Although he had complaints about his opposition partners, he said these were unrelated to personal relationships. Contrary to reports about his meeting with Eisenkot, Lieberman said he had told Eisenkot that Yisrael Beiteinu would recommend him.
Lieberman also said his party would support Yair Lapid for Speaker of the Knesset after Lapid told him he wanted the position. He presented that support as a matter of fairness and said his party had never engaged in political extortion.
Amit Segal assessed that Lieberman was offering Eisenkot an endorsement while leaving him with two practical options: a unity government or another election. Segal argued that supporting Lapid for Speaker advanced the prospect of elections because Eisenkot would have preferred his own candidate to preserve the possibility of a unity government.
Segal described the Speakership decision as the only decisive element of Lieberman’s announcement and concluded that Lieberman had effectively chosen elections. He also predicted that Eisenkot would receive the mandate to form a government but would probably be unable to turn it into a premiership within six weeks.
Senior figures in Eisenkot’s party said Lapid would not become Speaker, arguing that choosing him would eliminate almost all possibilities of forming a government. Lieberman’s move was not coordinated with the Beyahad party or Bennett.
Responding to the Channel 12 News report, sources close to Lapid said:
“The only thing that matters to Lapid is removing Netanyahu from the Prime Minister’s Office and forming a good, sensible government of change. This is a dangerous moment for Israeli democracy, and he is here only to help.”
Segal further argued that, after the prospect of an Arab-party-supported minority government faded, United Torah Judaism operatives and senior Change Bloc figures were treating ambiguous remarks by Lieberman as grounds to hope for a 61-seat government comprising the Change Bloc, Shas and United Torah Judaism. He questioned whether Lieberman might instead be drawing Eisenkot into concessions on military conscription before withdrawing his support.
Separately, Lieberman described the opposition’s election result as a crushing defeat and blamed Eisenkot, accusing him of running a selfish campaign.
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