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What sort of game is Avigdor Liberman playing?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is very worried that Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman will agree to cooperate with the Joint List in an effort to bring him down, thereby allowing Benny Gantz to form a minority government.
Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Yisrael Beitenu party, delivers a statement following his party faction meeting, near Neve Ilan, Israel September 22, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC1B5B9174A0
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In May, it looked like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was about to announce that he had just formed his fifth government. It seemed like it would happen any given minute, so that even if he couldn’t form a coalition in the requisite 28 days, there was no reason to suspect that something big was taking place behind the scenes. But as soon as he received the 14-day extension, as allowed by law, Netanyahu summoned his Cabinet Secretary Tzahi Braverman and asked him to prepare legislation to dissolve the new Knesset. Netanyahu told Braverman that he had no government, and that Liberman won’t come on board. Yes, Braverman was shocked by this extraordinary request, but he did what Netanyahu asked and secretly prepared the necessary legislation. Eventually, indeed the Knesset was dissolved, and Israel was on its way to rerun elections.

By requesting a legislation to disband the Knesset, Netanyahu prepared himself for the day when it becomes painfully obvious that he cannot form a new government. Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman refused to join his right-wing coalition. Netanyahu was convinced that Liberman was coordinating with Blue and White party’s No. 2 Yair Lapid, but also with a group of Likud Knesset members, led by former Minister Gideon Saar. Netanyahu also believed that as soon as the mandate to form a new government is taken from him and handed to Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz, a new government will be formed without him. His decision to dissolve the 21st Knesset on May 30 was intended to be a preventive strike, designed to keep him from losing his seat in the prime minister’s office. Now, again, Netanyahu is certain that Liberman and Lapid threw a monkey wrench into his plans.

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