Speaking with Radio 103FM Thursday after the Knesset voted to dissolve itself and send Israel to its fifth round of elections in three-and-a-half years, Liberman blamed Israel’s ongoing political crisis on Netanyahu.
“I think that if he had even a little sense of national duty, a little sensitivity for the problems of Israel, he would simply step aside.”
“You tried four times to build a government and four times you failed. Step aside until your trial is over. Let someone else from the Likud take the reins.”
“If Netanyahu would care about the country, or even the Likud party, he wouldn’t force us into a fifth election. He would move over and let someone else lead the Likud and he would wait until his trial is over.”
“In each of the four previous elections, we said very clearly, ‘We won’t sit with Netanyahu and the haredim, we will form another government.”
When asked whether he believes Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, who is poised to replace Naftali Bennett as chief of Yamina, will join Netanyahu, Liberman said he could not speak for his partners in the coalition.
“The one thing I am certain of, as far as [Netanyahu] goes, is that in my view, the most important thing is preventing Netanyahu from returning to power. We don’t want Israel to become a monarchy. We will do everything to keep Netanyahu out of power.”
