Avigdor Liberman Dumps Partnership With Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party
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Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has dissolved the partnership between the political party that he heads, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Liberman made the announcement Monday, after days of disagreement between the two parties’ leaders over how to respond to the recent onslaught of rocket fire from Gaza.
The two parties ran together in the last general Knesset elections in 2013; they are permitted to separate once elected, however.
The separation means that the ruling Likud party now has 20 Knesset seats, one more than the centrist Yesh Atid Party, headed by Yair Lapid.
Liberman informed Netanyahu of his decision on Monday morning, a day after the two leaders publicly argued at the weekly Cabinet meeting.
During the meeting, Netanyahu, according to leaks, reportedly reprimanded Cabinet members who spoke out publicly against the government’s reaction to the situation in Gaza. Netanyahu reportedly chided Liberman, who has publicly criticized Netanyahu for holding back in responding more forcefully to Gaza attacks, for missing two Cabinet meetings during which the Gaza situation was discussed. Liberman was acting in his capacity as foreign minister during both of t hose meetings.
Liberman told reporters Monday that there have been longstanding differences between the leaders and that it was preventing them from working together.
“Disagreements between the prime minister and me are fundamental and do not allow for a future partnership,” Liberman said. “The partnership did not work during the elections, it did not work after the elections and to this day there were quite a few technical issues. When technical issues turn to fundamental ones there is no point in continuing.”
He said his party will remain in the government coalition.
Liberman reportedly also is reportedly trying to shore up his party’s and his personal sagging poll numbers.
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