Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Lieberman called for a unity government with Likud, Blue and White and his party after receiving a boost in seats in the exit polls after the second round of Israeli elections on Sept. 17.
“I say to all citizens, our security and economy are in an emergency situation. Therefore, the state must have a broad national, liberal government, and not one which fights for survival from one week to the next and from one no-confidence vote to the next,” he declared in a speech after the polls closed on Tuesday.
Exit polls by Israel’s leading networks have Lieberman’s party earning between eight and 10 seats—a boost over the five seats he received in the April 9 election.
Lieberman, who refused to join a government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this spring over differences with the ultra-Orthodox parties, has campaigned on forming a unity government among himself and the two other major parties.
With exit polls showing both Likud, and Blue and White, facing no clear path to a governing majority without Lieberman’s support, many see the former defense minister as a potential “kingmaker” and key to avoiding a potential third election.
