The head of the right-wing Yamina party Naftali Bennett on Wednesday rejected a call by Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman to unite in order to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from forming the next government, saying they should rather focus their efforts on helping Israel's 800,000 unemployed.
Israel appears on course for its fourth elections in two years, with the lack of a state budget and a bill to dissolve parliament both likely next week to trigger a fresh round of voting.
3 View gallery
Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman
(Photos: GPO, Yair Sagi)
The most pressing issue was to help the multitudes of people left without a job and "not four politicians," Bennett said Wednesday as he rebuffed Liberman's overture.
"The plan is already in place and you [Liberman] are invited to help. The rest is of no interest," Bennett said.
3 View gallery
Former allies Naftali Bennett and Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
In a letter Tuesday to Bennett, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid and former Likud MK Gideon Sa'ar, who last week announced his was forming his own party, Liberman wrote: "The creation of a liberal, Zionist coalition is the order of the day, especially in light of the growing cooperation between Netanyahu and representatives of the Islamic movement."
Liberman was alluding to the prime minister's newly forged ties with Mansour Abbas, the head of the Ra'am party that forms part of the Joint List alliance.
"Such a bloc would be a true alternative to Netanyahu, and can ensure his replacement, which so many citizens want," Liberman wrote.
Yesh Atid MK Elazar Stern responded to the letter by saying that Lapid has already proven he is able to replace Netanyahu in the leadership of the country.
Lapid himself said that the government has failed "by every standard," in its management of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The original sin is in the government's makeup and in Netanyahu's poor leadership skills. This is amateur hour at its worst," he told a conference at the Israel Democracy Institute on Wednesday.
Gideon Sa'ar did not comment on Liberman's letter.