Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman over the weekend called for the formation of a "national emergency government" comprising Likud, Blue and White, and Yisrael Beytenu, which will be headed by the candidate whose party won the most Knesset seats.
This government, he stressed, will exclude ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, and far-right Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir.
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Taking to social media, Lieberman announced that after the Sept. 17 election, his party will force Likud and Blue and White to form a coalition.
"Over the past week, in light of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's attempts to focus the campaign on who the prime minister should be, I was shocked to see the fierce and shameful competition between [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz and Netanyahu over who will capitulate the most to the ultra-Orthodox parties' demands," he wrote on Facebook.
"In stark contrast to Likud, Yisrael Beytenu believes that the most important issue voters should consider is what kind of government will Israel have and what will its composition be: will it be a halachic government or a national and liberal government?"
"Under the current circumstances, with a catastrophe that the public isn't fully aware of in the state budget and security challenges, our task is to force Likud and Blue and White to form a liberal national emergency government – Yisrael Beytenu with the Likud and Blue and White," the post continued.
"This government will reflect what the majority of voters want. The party that wins the most mandates will present a candidate for forming the government, without the haredim and without Itamar Ben-Gvir. Once a state budget is passed and agreements on security issues and matters of religion and state are reached, then we will form a coalition. We will welcome anyone who wants to join the government based on these principles."
A Likud official excoriated Lieberman, saying, "Lieberman has shown voters his true colors. He is willing to team up with Gantz and [Blue and White co-leade Yair] Lapid and force a left-wing government on the public. Anyone who wants a right-wing government has to vote for Likud, headed by Netanyahu."
Retorting, Lieberman tweeted, "I'm glad Yisrael Beytenu and I are under attack for setting a new political agenda."
A statement from Blue and White said, "Had Lieberman come to this conclusion before he and Yisrael Beytenu voted for the dissolution of the Knesset the Israeli public would have been spared unnecessary elections. But, as they say, better late than never. The right thing to do and what Israel needs is a unity government that works for the public, under Blue and White's leadership."
A statement issued by Ben-Gvir said, "Now everything is clear for the voters. It will either be a left-wing government of Gantz and Lieberman or the right-wing government of Bibi and Ben-Gvir. Lieberman has again proven that he has veered deep into the Left and that he lacks any ideological backbone."
Ben-Gvir added that "in recent days, I have been working day and night to produce alliances that would create a huge technical bloc that could prevent lost votes and bring about a real victory for the Right."
Meanwhile, a recent survey by the Maagar Mohot polling institute found that were the election held at this time, the right bloc, sans Lieberman, would win 60 Knesset seats, while the center-left bloc would win 52 seats.
The poll predicted Likud would win 35 seats and Blue and White would win 33, followed by Yisrael Beytenu and United Torah Judaism (eight seats each), Shas (7), Hadash-Ta'al (6), United Right and Meretz (five each), and Labor and Balad-Ra'am teetering on the electoral threshold with four seats each.
