Gantz says he’d form ‘liberal’ unity government without ‘extremists’

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz vows to form a “liberal” unity government if tasked with putting together a coalition after upcoming elections, appearing to rule out joining forces with ultra-Orthodox and national religious parties.

“I promise that immediately after the elections we’ll establish a liberal unity government that will be based on the majority, not extremists and extortion,” Gantz says at an event in Beersheba.

“Prime ministers have surrendered to the blackmail of sectoral parties instead of worrying about what the majority needs,” he adds.

Though Gantz did not explicitly mention the ultra-Orthodox or national religious, his comments echo Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman, who has vowed to force Likud and Blue and White to form a unity government without religious parties if neither is able to cobble together a ruling majority without him.