Following recent reports that Gadi Eisenkot, head of the nascent Yashar party, and Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman are in talks on a potential merger, the two politicians announced on Thursday that they are working to expand cooperation ahead of the upcoming election, but did not confirm any plans to run on a unified slate.

In a joint statement, the two opposition parties said that Eisenkot and Liberman met last night and that both had “instructed their teams to deepen the cooperation between the parties in order to lead the ‘coalition of those who serve [in the military]’ to victory and establish a Zionist, statesmanlike government.”

A union between the centrist, recently formed Yashar and the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu — which currently holds six seats in the Knesset but has been consistently polling at about 10 — could yield a combined 25 seats, according to recent surveys, bringing it neck-and-neck with former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Together slate.

Responding to a reporter’s question about a possible merger during a press conference earlier this week, Eisenkot answered that he and Liberman have “maintained a long relationship” and have met and spoken in recent months, but that he did not want to get into specifics.

Liberman was also asked about the matter at a press conference on Wednesday, and said the primary goal of the upcoming election is to replace Netanyahu’s government and that “any move that brings an added value of two or three mandates is necessary. But there must be added value. If a move doesn’t contribute to adding mandates, then in my view, it’s a waste of time.”

During the same press conference, Liberman said that while he will not sit in a........

© The Times of Israel