Liberman vows not to join Likud-led coalition of right-wing religious parties

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman says his party will uphold its campaign promises and will not join a Likud-led coalition of religious-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.

“We are a party of principles,” he says.

Liberman says his party is waiting for the actual tallies to come in before making final decisions, especially as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc appears to be teetering on the edge of a majority.

“Every seat matters, so we have to wait for the true results,” Liberman says, speaking onstage at his party’s headquarters in the city of Modi’in.

In the past year’s campaigns, Liberman has come out strongly against both the ultra-Orthodox parties and the national-religious parties, whom he refers to as “messianic.”

— Judah Ari Gross