(Photo credit: Israel Hayom)
The Cradle
NOV 2, 2026
Opposition politician Avigdor Liberman says he rejects forming a government with Netanyahu or with Israeli-Palestinian parties
Israeli opposition politician Avigdor Liberman will recommend Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister and support B’Yachad’s Yair Lapid for Knesset speaker, Israeli media reported on 2 November.
Liberman, who leads the Yisrael Beytenu Party, made the announcement at a press briefing on Monday.
Liberman, Eisenkot, and Lapid are among Israel’s most prominent opposition leaders. They are seeking to form a coalition of opposition parties to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party from power as prime minister.
Under Israel’s Basic Law, President Israel Herzog must consult the political parties represented in the Knesset before deciding which member of parliament should attempt to form a government, which requires 61 of the 120 Knesset seats to form a majority.
When asked whether he expected to be nominated as prime minister, Liberman said he had no expectations and was working to form a government as soon as possible.
Until now, Eisenkot had called for the leader of the largest party in the opposition bloc to become its candidate for prime minister.
Among opposition parties, Eisenkot’s Yashar led with 21 seats in last week’s Knesset election, followed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid’s Together Alliance with 12.
However, Liberman announced no agreement on the arrangement within the opposition bloc.
The four-party opposition bloc won 48 seats, compared with 53 for Netanyahu’s bloc. Parties representing Palestinians with Israeli citizenship won another 19 seats.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the B’Yachad party, announced on Sunday that he would recommend Eisenkot to President Herzog as its candidate to form the next government.
If opposition parties cannot form a coalition, new elections may result.
Another possibility is that Netanyahu’s bloc will reach an agreement with members of Eisenkot’s bloc to form a national unity government.
Such an outcome could allow Netanyahu to remain prime minister.
The Palestinian-Israeli parties have said they are willing to cooperate with the opposition bloc to ensure Netanyahu is ousted.
If Eisenkot partners with the Palestinian-Israeli parties, they could form a coalition with 67 seats, prompting Herzog to give Eisenkot the mandate to form a government.
However, Liberman continues to reject forming a government with Netanyahu or one that is reliant on support from Palestinian-Israeli parties, which he says would “survive less than a year.”
Herzog is expected to begin consultations with party representatives on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, opposition party leaders also plan to oust Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party.
“Also regarding the Knesset speaker, all the speculation and nonsense – we were not extortionists, and we do not intend to extort,” Liberman said. “Yair Lapid said he wants to be Knesset speaker. We will support Yair Lapid’s candidacy for Knesset speaker.”
If Ohana is replaced as speaker, the opposition bloc will gain greater control over the parliamentary agenda, including votes, legislation, and committee appointments, even if Netanyahu remains prime minister.
