The cracks in Israel's opposition bloc are widening ahead of the round of recommendations at the President's Residence. Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman met last night with Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yashar party, but refused to commit to recommending him to the president for the task of forming the government, Kan News reported this morning.
The meeting with Eisenkot is part of a series of consultations Liberman is holding with opposition leaders. The day before, Liberman met with opposition leader Yair Lapid, and later today he is expected to meet with Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats.
The Knesset Speaker Trap and the Arab Parties Dilemma
Beyond the question of presidential recommendations, a central issue threatening to paralyze parliamentary coordination in the bloc is Liberman's demand to appoint MK Oded Forer from his faction as Knesset speaker on behalf of the bloc.
This demand places opposition party leaders in a complicated political bind. On one hand, the Arab factions are expected to oppose Forer's appointment to the position, making it difficult to secure the required majority. On the other hand, the bloc fears that opposition to Forer's appointment will lead Liberman to torpedo any other candidate proposed for the role.
