Yisrael Beytenu ‘making every effort’ to form coalition but won’t drop demands

Yisrael Beytenu says it is “making every effort” to help form a right-wing government but won’t compromise on party chief Avigdor Liberman’s demands for joining a coalition.

Liberman announced earlier this week he would hold no further coalition negotiations unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party agrees to five conditions he laid out, threatening to take his party to the opposition.

“We’re making every effort to form a true right-wing government and are ready to go ahead with our potential partners on all matters, except for the five clauses,” Yisrael Beytenu says in a statement.

While saying it would reluctantly support a bill increasing the number of government ministers and an expanded version of the “Norwegian Law,” the party cites a lack of agreement on the “critical issues” of granting Liberman a larger say on security policy and proposed legislation concerning military conscription for ultra-Orthodox seminary students.

“Until we receive a positive response on these points, we see no reason for a meeting of the negotiating teams,” it says.