Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot and Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman met on Monday and agreed that the next Knesset speaker will be a Yashar MK, according to reports.
The agreement marks a shift from Liberman’s original demand that the post go to Yair Lapid, which had caused friction among the opposition bloc’s partners in recent days. According to the reports, Liberman is also willing to drop his call for an immediate vote to replace the speaker. Yashar has not said which of its MKs will be named for the post.
In a statement after what it called a substantive and good meeting, Yashar said that “the two expressed their full confidence in the ability to form a stable government for four years.”
The meeting came a day after President Isaac Herzog gave Eisenkot the mandate to form a government, after he was recommended by 67 MKs, including the Arab parties. Eisenkot has until December 6 to present a government, with the possibility of a 14-day extension.
Replacing current Speaker Amir Ohana may not be simple. Ohana has said the speaker is usually chosen when a government is formed, and that an earlier vote would require a request signed by at least 61 MKs. United Torah Judaism has also rejected replacing the speaker at this stage, saying any change should come only as part of forming a government.
Liberman has ruled out a minority government that relies on the Arab parties, but is open to talks with the chareidi parties if agreement can be reached on the draft law.
