Liberman breaks silence, names Eisenkot as PM candidate

Israeli politics moved closer to a resolution on Monday when Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman broke his silence to announce his party's coalition strategy. He recommended Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister and pledged support for B'Yachad leader Yair Lapid for the position of Knesset speaker.

The announcement followed a week in which Liberman reportedly avoided phone calls from other opposition party leaders. On Saturday evening, he met with Eisenkot and outgoing opposition leader Yair Lapid to finalize the arrangement. This move contrasts with Eisenkot's previous stance, which called for the leader of the largest opposition party to become the bloc's candidate.

Liberman addressed the speculation surrounding the negotiations at a press briefing on Monday. He stated that his party was not extortionists and did not intend to extort. "Yair Lapid said he wants to be Knesset speaker. We will support Yair Lapid’s candidacy for Knesset speaker," he said. He added that the party would act to collect signatures to replace the current speaker by next Tuesday.

Liberman described the current speaker as a "political commissar" who broke all the rules. He noted that replacing the speaker is critical for the election of the state comptroller. When asked if he expected to become prime minister, Liberman said he had no expectations and was working to form a government as soon as possible to avoid another round of elections.

The opposition bloc currently holds 48 seats in the Knesset, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc secured 53 seats in the recent election. The opposition lacks the 61-seat majority needed to form a government. However, Arab parties have expressed willingness to cooperate, and their 19 recommendations would give Eisenkot a total of 67 seats. This majority would allow President Isaac Herzog to grant Eisenkot the mandate to form the next government over Netanyahu.

President Herzog is expected to begin consultations with party representatives on Wednesday. The new Knesset is scheduled to be sworn in on November 10, regardless of the outcome of coalition talks. Opposition leaders have agreed that their first move after the swearing in will be to oust Likud member Amir Ohana, the current Knesset speaker.

A vote to remove Ohana requires a majority and could succeed with the support of the Arab parties, bringing the potential backing to 67 seats. Removing Ohana would give the opposition bloc greater control over the parliamentary agenda, including votes, legislation, and committee appointments, even if Netanyahu remains in office as head of a caretaker government.