Likud says it won’t form coalition with Zionist Union

The Likud party on Thursday ruled out sitting in a future coalition with Isaac Herzog’s Zionist Union party, after facing furious criticism from Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett.

Earlier on Thursday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon (Likud) told Army Radio that Likud had not ruled out sitting in the coalition with the Zionist Union, but said it was against a rotation system for the premiership.

“We didn’t say no to anything,” Ya’alon said. “But it’s clear that first we must create a natural bloc, a natural coalition which is right-wing, and then if someone wants to join, let them join.”

Bennett, in response, lashed out at Likud and, in an apparent reference to the Purim holiday, wrote on Facebook: “The mask is off: The Likud wants to form a government with Bouji/Tzipi [Herzog and Livni], just like last time.”

“It happened last time, too. Likud brought Livni in (with only six seats!) and tried all they could to keep us out,” he wrote.

Bennett largely got into the last coalition due to a pact he made with Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid — then the second-largest party — that Lapid would not join unless Bennett was included.

Recent polls have the Zionist Union party in the lead, followed closely by the Likud party, ahead of the March 17 elections.

If Likud were tasked with forming the coalition, according to Channel 2, its seats could be joined by Jewish Home, Yisrael Beytenu, Kulanu, Shas, UTJ and Yachad for a total of some 65 seats, based on recent polls, giving Netanyahu a slim majority.

Should the Zionist Union form a government, it could partner with Meretz, Yesh Atid, Kulanu and — two unlikely partners — Shas and Yisrael Beytenu, for a total of some 62 mandates, an even slimmer majority than the Likud-led constellation.

Adiv Sterman and Ricky Ben-David contributed to this report.