Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the Likud party has agreed with right-wing and religious parties to form a single bloc and appoint a joint negotiating team for these parties, in order to conduct coalition negotiations to form a government.
Netanyahu's move aims to prevent his rival, leader of a blue-white party, from forming a coalition of Arab lawmakers.
"After my meeting with the leaders of the Likud Nationalist Party, Shas, Yahudat Hathorah, the National Union, the Jewish House and the new right, we unanimously decided to go together for negotiations to form a government under my presidency," Netanyahu said.
"We will conduct these negotiations through one joint team of all parties. Minister Yariv Levin will lead the team together with a representative from each party."
He explained that after the formation of the right-wing bloc "there are two possibilities either a presidential government or a serious government leaning on the Arab parties. This is a dangerous government, this is our commitment to the security of the State of Israel and our voters. "
The results of the Israeli elections kept the possibility of forming a government of national unity between the Likud and Azraq White parties, and the formation of this government with the active participation of Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Lieberman became the strongest option to break the equilibrium of the elections.
The results gave Netanyahu's right-wing and ultra-Orthodox camp some 55 seats in the Knesset, while the center-left camp and the left-wing Arab List gained 56 seats.