JERUSALEM (VosIzNeias) — The three-pronged political impasse in Israel has continued unabated after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received the mandate from President Rivlin last week to try and form a government. The Likud insists that any government include its Chareidi and national religious partners, a condition which is unacceptable to Blue-And-White. Blue-And-White insists from its point of view on excluding the Chareidim, a condition which is unacceptable to Likud. Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman insists on establishing a secular liberal unity government including both parties, but once again this is unacceptable to Likud and unfeasible for Blue-And-White.
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As the 22nd Knesset is sworn in Thursday, it is unclear how long it stands to last, with no visible solution to the political conundrum at present.
Netanyahu met with Liberman Thursday morning and urged him to join in establishing a right-wing government. Liberman continued to insist that a national unity government is what is required at present, with mutual joint guidelines between the three partners.
A skeptical Likud official said that “we hope this will be a cordial meeting and it may even be polite but it is hard to say that we expect far-reaching results.”
Liberman responded on Facebook, stating that “I was invited by Netanyahu to a meeting at his office…all of our efforts are focused on establishing a national unity government from three parties- Yisrael Beitenu, Likud and Blue-And-White. We clarified this before the elections, during the elections and after the elections. We will not be party to any other government.”
Liberman added that even if new elections would take place the political situation would not change and “therefore the sides must reach a rational solution and leave personal considerations and egos behind them.”