Liberman leaves door open to sitting in Herzog government

Yisrael Beytenu party head Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman refused to commit Sunday to throwing his support behind Benjamin Netanyahu as the next prime minister, and also left open the possibility he would join Zionist Union’s Isaac Herzog if the latter were to form the next coalition.

The statement came as Netanyahu took pre-election fire from the left regarding his outspoken stance on Iran and from the right over a weekend report that he had agreed in principle to several concessions with the Palestinians.

Speaking to Army Radio, Liberman, who is also foreign minister and was allied with Netanyahu in the last election, emphasized that he would sit with Herzog if the Zionist Union leader agreed to core demands, primarily the elimination of the Hamas government in Gaza and a proposal limiting the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down Knesset laws.

Despite refusing to follow Shas chairman Aryeh Deri’s example and commit to endorsing Netanyahu, Liberman said, “It is clear that the one making the next coalition will be Likud and Netanyahu.”

After Israeli elections, every faction leader gives a recommendation to the president regarding who should form the next coalition.

The Yisrael Beytenu chief predicted that his party would gain at least 10 seats in the next parliament, despite polls showing the faction hovering at some five mandates.

Liberman also stated that he was not aware of the terms of a secret document drafted in recent years detailing the framework for peace negotiations with Palestinians and appearing to indicate a willingness for significant compromises by Netanyahu.

“I didn’t know about the document, and I imagine it is not a coincidence, because it is clear to everyone that i would strenuously oppose the document,” he said.

According to the document, Netanyahu agreed to negotiate a peace deal on the basis of the 1967 borders, with land swaps; to acknowledge Palestinian aspirations in East Jerusalem; to evacuate settlers from the West Bank; and to allow those who so choose to remain under Palestinian rule.

Liberman termed a bilateral deal with the Palestinians a “strategic mistake.” Instead, he said, Israel must pursue a regional deal with moderate Arab nations.

Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett told the radio station Netanyahu had likely been persuaded into making concessions to the Palestinians by government partners who pushed him toward the left.

Ex-Mossad chief accused of ingratitude

The comments came a day after Netanyahu took flak from former Mossad chief Meir Dagan over his management of the country and campaign against Iran’s nuclear program.

Deputy Environmental Protection Minister Ofir Akunis (Likud) painted Dagan as an ingrate over the barrage of criticism Dagan issued against Netanyahu during a leftist pre-election rally in Tel Aviv Saturday and in a Friday night TV interview.

“I personally call on him [Dagan] to thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for saving his life while he underwent surgery,” Akunis said during an interview on Army Radio Sunday.

Akunis was likely referring to Dagan’s 2012 liver transplant in Belarus during which terror groups issued threats against the former Mossad chief. In response, the prime minister sent Israeli security to the Minsk hospital until Dagan could return home. Netanyahu also personally helped Dagan with the transplant process, Channel 2 reported on Friday.

“As a Jew, I believe in showing gratitude,” Akunis said during the interview.

“If someone saved my life, I can’t imagine launching such poisonous attack against them,” he continued. “As an Israeli, if someone saved my life, I would thank them until my dying day.”

Akunis also expressed doubt that the speech Dagan delivered at Saturday’s rally, which drew some 40,000 demonstrators calling for a change in government, was written by him. He claimed that the language and phrases Dagan used were identical to the slogans used by the left-wing parties, and suggested it was written by an advertising agency.

“What he said yesterday was personal, and not objective,” Akunis concluded.

During his address to the supporters of the left-wing Meretz party and the center-left Zionist Union at Tel Aviv’s Rabinb Square, Dagan said “we have a leader who fights only one campaign — the campaign for his own political survival.”

“In the name of this war, he is dragging us down to a bi-national state and to the end of the Zionist dream,” the former spy chief, 70, said of Netanyahu.

Dagan, who seemed close to tears at times and who stressed that he had no personal political ambitions, said he did not fear Israel’s enemies, but “I fear our leadership,” which had “lost its way” and was characterized by “hesitancy and indecisiveness.”

Israel had “never been more stuck than in the six years” of Netanyahu’s term, “with no progress toward a better future,” Dagan charged.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.