Lieberman: Netanyahu’s call for national unity government 'political trick'

Yisrael Beiteinu leader, Avigdor Lieberman, warned on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is practising “political tricks” to lead Israel to a third round of elections, Quds Press reported.

“Netanyahu is sticking to government in order to achieve majority of 61 seats needed to form a new government and flee from justice,” Lieberman clarified.

Netanyahu, he added, is trying to influence the political scene through his call for the formation of a national unity government, while also trying to persuade members of the Knesset from different parties to join his bloc and alliance with the other religious parties.

Quds Press reported that while speaking to the Israeli general radio, Lieberman stated that if Netanyahu failed to carry out his mission, he would blame Benny Gantz or Jewish Home for thwarting the formation of a national unity government, leading Israel to a third round of elections.

READ: Gantz rejects Netanyahu’s call for unity government

Meanwhile, sources from the Blue and White party revealed that Head of the party Gantz, had described Netanyahu’s calls for the party’s head to form a national unity government as a “miserable media ploy.”

The sources also announced that Netanyahu had decided to go for a third election, after recognising that the Blue and White party would not allow him to become prime minister.

After acquiring 99.8 per cent of the votes, the Blue and White party won 33 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud won 31 seats.