Lieberman Slams Door on Any Netanyahu-Led Government

Avigdor Lieberman just made himself the hardest door in Israeli politics to open. The Yisrael Beiteinu leader said Monday he will not join any government that includes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a flat no delivered as coalition math gets underway.

Lieberman is no backbencher. He's a former foreign affairs, defense and finance minister, and his right-wing party has been a frequent swing piece in Israeli coalitions. Taking him off the board removes one more possible partner for Netanyahu as the numbers get counted.

The backdrop: Israelis voted on October 27, and Netanyahu's Likud won the most seats, though not enough to govern alone. Lieberman's announcement lands days before President Isaac Herzog is set to receive the official results from Central Elections Committee chairman Noam Sohlberg on Wednesday, then begin consultations with party leaders at the President's Residence.

Herzog has already made clear he wants the outcome respected. At a state memorial ceremony for Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann, on Sunday, he called the election results a 'reality' and urged party leaders to accept them.

Election officials are backing that up too. Shin Bet director David Zini, Sohlberg and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara posted a video address Sunday saying the vote was conducted properly and faced no outside interference — with Sohlberg noting citizens turned out in record numbers and the results won't change.

Lieberman's stance doesn't end the story, it reshapes it. Herzog's consultations will test whether anyone can assemble a majority without him — or whether Israel is staring down another slog toward a workable government.