Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid didn’t deny reports that his coalition partner Avigdor Leiberman vetoed the Chareidi parties from joining the coalition, Kikar H’Shabbat reported.

At the beginning of a party meeting earlier this week, a Kikar reporter asked Lapid: “Regarding your statement that this government will also serve UTJ and Shas voters, Chareidi party leaders said that you and Bennett gave in to Lieberman and that’s why you’re not adding them to the coalition – at least not in the first year.”

Lapid didn’t answer the question, instead saying that he sat for five years in the opposition and he didn’t feel like anyone was boycotting him and also elaborating on how the new government will be responsive to Chareidi needs.

The reporter tried again, this time asking directly: “Did Lieberman request that the Chareidi parties not be allowed into the coalition?”

“This is the composition of the government and I’m not going to discuss the coalition negotiations,” Lapid answered, again avoiding the question.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)