Liberman: Shaked and Smotrich will not back Netanyahu as PM after elections

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman says the leaders of the Yamina Party, an amalgamation of parties to the right of the Likud, will not back Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister after the September elections despite their declarations to the contrary.

"Netanyahu became irrelevant" from the moment he refused to form a unity government, Liberman told Ynet.

He also dismissed the recent political drama between Netanyahu and Yamina's Bezalel Smotrich as "a clear show."

"What's more interesting is that those who paid real attention to Ayelet Shaked and Smotrich realize that immediately after the election, there is zero chance that they will recommend Netanyahu" for prime minister," Liberman said.