Liberman distances himself from opposition allies, pushes for unity government - report

Liberman cut off contact with former prime minister and B'Yachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, refusing to answer phone calls from his opposition counterparts.

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman has reportedly cut ties with the opposition bloc and is pushing for a unity government, according to a Wednesday N12 News report.

According to the report, Liberman cut off contact with former prime minister and B'Yachad leader Naftali Bennett and Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot. He has not answered any phone calls from his opposition counterparts since Wednesday, the day after elections.

Liberman, whose party is currently projected to enter the Knesset with seven seats, has remained adamant in his refusal to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition.

That stance has been underscored by his recent call to Attorney-General Gali Baharv-Miara to open a criminal probe into Netanyahu for allegedly trying to draw the IDF into a military confrontation in an effort to delay the election.

Liberman launched his campaign in a bid to become prime minister, but ultimately fell short.

PM hopes crushed as Liberman loses ground to Bennett

Current tallies point to seven seats for Yisrael Beytenu, short of pre-election polls that had his party expecting as many as nine.

According to the report, Liberman lost ground to Bennett, whose B'Yachad party absorbed his mandates.

Moreover, Liberman's overall strategy relied on Likud fracturing from within - a gamble that never paid off, as official election results show Likud maintaining its position as the largest faction in the Knesset.

According to N12, Liberman does not intend to be the one to cross over to the Netanyahu bloc, and allegedly prefers that Eisenkot does so alone.

Maariv reported on Thursday that Netanyahu is considering forming a unity government with Eisenkot, citing sources close to the prime minister. 

N12 said that sources close to Liberman say he is "choosing to lie in wait," as a security escalation in the country could open more opportunities for realignment.