Yisrael Beytenu will recommend Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot for prime minister and support B'Yachad's Yair Lapid for Knesset speaker, party chairman Avigdor Liberman said at a press briefing on Monday.
“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.”
“Next Tuesday, we will act to collect signatures to replace the Knesset speaker,” he added. “Replacing the Knesset speaker is critical, also for the election of the state comptroller. This Knesset speaker functioned as a political commissar [and] broke all the rules.”
When asked by the press if he was expecting to be 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.
He warned that a minority government would last less than a year, and would result in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returning to office with “70 seats.”
Until now, Eisenkot had called for the leader of the largest party in the opposition bloc to become its candidate for prime minister.
However, no agreement on the arrangement was announced within the opposition bloc by Liberman.
Liberman reportedly avoided phone calls over the course of the week
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who leads the B’Yachad party, announced on Sunday that he would recommend Eisenkot to Herzog as its candidate to form the next government.
Liberman had reportedly been avoiding the phone calls of other opposition party leaders last week; however, he met with Eisenkot on Saturday evening and outgoing opposition leader Yair Lapid.
The opposition bloc lacks the required 61-seat Knesset majority with the support of the Arab parties. The election results showed that Netanyahu’s bloc maintained its lead, securing 53 seats in the next Knesset, while the opposition bloc won 48.
The political deadlock could ultimately lead to another election, although the parties may still reach an agreement through coalition negotiations. Other possible outcomes include a unity government among Netanyahu and members of Eisenkot’s bloc, or the formation of a minority government.
The Arab parties have expressed willingness to cooperate with the oppostion bloc to work toward replacing Netanyahu.
Along with the 48 seats won by the opposition bloc, the Arab parties' 19 recommendations would give Eisenkot 67 in total, prompting President Isaac Herzog to potentially grant him the mandate over Netanyahu. The president’s consultations with party representatives are expected to begin on Wednesday.
Opposition leaders eye Knesset speaker position
Meanwhile, opposition party leaders have also reportedly agreed that their first move after the new Knesset is sworn in on November 10 would be to oust Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, a member of Netanyahu's Likud party.
The move would require a majority in a Knesset vote and could be achievable with the support of the Arab parties, bringing the potential backing to 67 seats.
Replacing 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.
Liberman had reportedly been pushing Oded Forer, who holds the fourth slot on the Yisrael Beytenu Knesset slate, to become Knesset speaker before his Monday remarks.
The Knesset is expected to be sworn in on November 10, regardless of any government or coalition talks.