Liberman meets Eisenkot, refuses to commit to recommending him for prime minister

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman met with Yashar! party leader Gadi Eisenkot on Sunday but declined to commit to recommending him to President Isaac Herzog for the role of prime minister, Kan News reported Monday. Liberman had met with opposition leader Yair Lapid the previous day.

Liberman’s demand to appoint his party colleague, MK Oded Forer, as Knesset speaker has created a dilemma for the change bloc. Arab parties are expected to oppose the appointment, while bloc leaders fear Liberman could block any alternative candidate if Forer is rejected.

Meanwhile, according to Kan News, associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed a message to Eisenkot that negotiations over a unity government would not begin while efforts to replace current Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana remain underway.