Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a political event in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam Wednesday, where he addressed Russian voters.
The Russian electorate may very well decide the fate of the September elections, as it usually votes for Yisrael Beytenu whose leader, Avigdor Lieberman, stated that even if Likud wins the elections, he will not automatically recommend Netanyahu as the candidate best suited to form the government.
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Lieberman's party also signed a surpluses vote-sharing deal with Likud challengers Blue and White.
"Unfortunately, there are those who have decided not to support a right-wing government. [Joint Arab List chairman] Ayman Odeh is one of them and like him, Lieberman has also pledged to recommend [Blue and White leader] Benny Gantz. "
"There is no double-ballot vote," Netanyahu told the audience, referring to a short-lived Israeli system of voting by which voters would cast one ballot for a party and a second for their candidate for the premiership. "Casting a ballot for Lieberman is voting for a Gantz government. Is that what you want? There is only one ballot to cast – for Likud," he said.
"At the end of the day, these elections are about one question – who will be the next prime minister," Netanyahu continued. "We just learned that President Trump's 'deal of the century' will be introduced after the elections. Ask yourselves, who do you want to negotiate with Trump on the deal – a right-wing government under the Likud and my leadership or Gantz and [Blue and White co-leader Yair] Lapid," the prime minister said.
