Liberman tells Eisenkot: No experienced Knesset speaker candidate

Cracks in the opposition bloc are widening ahead of the recommendation process at the President's Residence: Ynet correspondent Amir Ettinger reported Sunday on a tense and difficult meeting held Saturday night between Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman and Yesh party chairman Gadi Eisenkot.

According to the report, Liberman leveled harsh accusations at Eisenkot over how he ran his election campaign and his conduct in the days following the vote count. Liberman told Eisenkot that he damaged the Change Bloc's chances because of the "big party campaign" he ran, as well as his public statements about the possibility of forming a minority government.

Another major point of contention that opened a frontal confrontation between the two is the battle over who will be nominated for Knesset speaker. While Eisenkot's faction demanded to appoint a candidate from their ranks, such as Hili Tropper or Matan Kahana, Liberman made clear he rejects that possibility outright.

According to the report, Liberman argued in the meeting that Eisenkot has no candidate experienced or suitable enough for the sensitive and complex role of Knesset speaker, and continued to insist on advancing the candidacy of MK Oded Forer.

Both sides, Yisrael Beiteinu and the Yesh party, chose not to comment on the report about the details of the meeting.