Likud announces Liberman joining government; he says he isn’t, for now

In a dramatic turn, Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman denied Saturday night that he had agreed to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government, shortly after the merger was announced by Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Liberman said he was unsatisfied with Netanyahu’s offer to have him join the broad security cabinet, and instead wants a position on the newly created war cabinet, staffed by Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and newly joined minister Benny Gantz.

“I am ready to join the war cabinet in order to bring victory, as swiftly as possible. I have no intention of being the 38th minister in the government and to be used as a fig leaf,” Liberman wrote on X.

“We support and will continue to support the government’s actions that are meant to eliminate Hamas and Hamas leaders,” he added.

Earlier, Likud released a message saying that Liberman would join the national emergency government and its security cabinet with immediate effect.

Liberman, a former defense minister, offered to join Netanyahu’s government the day after war broke out on condition that Israel would not satisfy itself with yet another round of limited fighting but rather seek to smash and eliminate Hamas. The former Netanyahu ally broke with the premier in 2019 and has since been a bitter opponent.

Liberman had not previously made demands relating to his role in the government.

In Likud’s conception, Liberman would have joined the security cabinet — but not the narrow war cabinet — as a minister without portfolio, and a second member of Yisrael Beytenu would join the government cabinet.

Liberman’s addition to the security cabinet would be expected to further weaken the influence of far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, whose ministerial roles guarantee them security cabinet seats, by Israeli law.

The back-and-forth comes after National Unity and its leader Gantz joined the government on Thursday, forming the high-level war cabinet with Netanyahu and Gallant.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid is not currently planning to join the national emergency government, a source close to the Yesh Atid leader said shortly after Likud announced Yisrael Beytenu would join the government.

Gantz congratulated Liberman shortly after the announcement, apparently unaware that it had not been finalized.

“I welcome Yisrael Beytenu party head Avigdor Liberman’s addition to the government. Together we’ll be victorious,” Gantz wrote on X.

With Liberman, the emergency coalition would have constituted 82 MKs — 64 from the original coalition; 12 from Gantz’s National Unity, and 6 from Yisrael Beytenu.

On Sunday, Liberman offered to join the current government, but he conditioned his support on Netanyahu, Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi publicly announcing that the government intends to “eliminate the Hamas terror organization and all its terrorist leaders.”

In a statement to the press extending his offer, Liberman said, “I understand that we have other challenges, including in the north against Hezbollah, captives in the Gaza Strip, the intentional community and other challenges.”

He added: “Our priorities must be clear — the elimination of Hamas and the heads of Hamas… Only in this way can we restore security to residents of the south and the rest of Israel’s citizens, and bring back our captives and those missing.”

In the interim, Netanyahu, Gallant, and National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi have clarified that Israel will seek regime change in the Gaza Strip, removing Hamas from power as well as neutering its military capability.