Lapid says won’t join forces with ‘left-wing coalition’

Answering press questions at his Yesh Atid faction meeting, Yair Lapid rejects the idea of joining either the Zionist Union or the Likud party to create a center-left or center-right bloc, respectively.

“We are a centrist party so it wouldn’t be right for us to be part of a left-wing coalition,” he says of a rumored plan set to be announced by opposition chair Tzipi Livni this afternoon to form such a union.

Asked if Likud would be a better fit for a political marriage, Lapid says: “We won’t need to join Likud because we will win on our own.”

He did not, however, reject the possibility of joining with former chief of staff Benny Gantz who is rumored to be considering an entry into politics, but stressed that he would lead any potential joint party.

“The only party that challenges Likud is us, the only candidate that challenges Netanyahu is me,” he says.

— Raoul Wootliff