Liberman pooh-poohs Jewish Home talk of leaving coalition

Foreign minister not worried about new elections, says his party would run apart from Likud

Israel’s foreign minister shot back at warnings from a senior coalition partner that he would leave the government if a deal to release Arab prisoners went through, saying he didn’t put much stock in the threats and was not afraid to go to new elections.

Avigdor Liberman, head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, also confirmed that in the event of new elections, his faction would split off from the ruling Likud party and return to running its own list, in comments published in the Yedioth Ahronoth daily on Sunday.

Liberman was responding to Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, who threatened late Thursday night that his Jewish Home party would leave the coalition if a deal to extend peace talks with the Palestinians that included the release of Israeli Arab prisoners went through.

The Jewish Home’s departure from the government would force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to either find a new coalition partner to make up for the 12 lost seats or go to new elections.

In an interview with the daily, the foreign minister said he doubted the Jewish Home party leader would implement his threats to pull out of the government if Israel releases Israeli-Arab prisoners in the delayed fourth round of such releases.

“I have difficulty seeing Bennett carry out his threats,” Liberman said. ” I see a large gap between his words and actions. The truth is we aren’t getting too excited about these threats.”

“If Bennett leaves — we’ll have elections,” he added. “I would not go in the direction of [forming] another coalition.”

Last week, Liberman told a conference in New York that he was in favor of calling new elections over forming a new coalition.

If Israel does go to the polls, Liberman said Yisrael Beytenu will run its own slate of candidates and not continue to join up with Likud.

The two parties forged a right-wing bloc in the run-up to the last elections in 2013, winning 31 seats. However, politicians from both sides maintained that the merger was temporary.

Last November, though, Liberman said he had no intention of dismantling the merger and that he expects to strengthen the alliance.

On Sunday, Liberman said that while his party plans to split from the Likud, he may join up with former Likud minister Moshe Kahlon, who intimated last week he would form a rival party in the next elections.

“We collaborated for many years, even before we were Knesset members, and I see no reason not to work with him now,” Liberman said of Kahlon.

Liberman also issued support for peace efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry, whom he met with last week, describing him as a “true friend” and calling on anyone who doesn’t think so to “go on Google and read a bit about him.”