Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Lieberman attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a faction meeting on Monday afternoon, claiming that Netanyahu wants to form a minority government with the support of the Arab parties.
"We heard him say, 'The Arabs are heading [to the voting booths] in droves' – the prime minister is heading toward the Arab parties, and that direction will cost the taxpayers a lot of money," Lieberman said in the meeting.
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"An attempt has been made to get people used to the next step of a minority government supported by the Arab parties. A minority government with the haredim and the Arabs will be established at the expense of the public who serves in the military, works, and pays taxes. This is not some imaginary scenario," Lieberman warned.
The Yisrael Beytenu chairman went on to detail the motive behind the minority government he says Netanyahu wants to form.
"The Likud realized that they won't get the 61 MKs [needed to form a governing coalition] without Yisrael Beytenu, so they decided to work on the move with the Arab parties. Just like the prime minister warned about the danger from the Left in the last election and tried to form a government with [outgoing Labor leader] Avi Gabbay, he's now trying to form a government with the Arab parties. They will give him a 'security net' and in exchange, they'll get a lot of money," he said.
Lieberman stressed that his party was in favor of a "broad government coalition, without the haredi parties."
The Likud party called Lieberman's claims "fake news, detached from reality."
"There has not been and will not be any cooperation between the Likud and the Arab parties. Prime Minister Netanyahu will work to form a right-wing government under the Likud," the party said.
