Israel's Netanyahu to meet finance minister to prevent snap elections

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that he would meet Sunday with Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon in a last effort to prevent snap elections.

Netanyahu tweeted that if Kahlon's Kulanu party, one of the coalition members, "will not overthrow the government, there will be a government. We must not overthrow a right-wing government."

Netanyahu added that all members of his Likud party "are interested in continuing to serve the country for another full year until the end of the term in November 2019."

The parliament elections are expected to be held in March 26, 2019 and a final decision is expected on Sunday after talks between the heads of the coalition factions.

The main reason for the snap elections is the resignation of Israel's Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who demanded a harsh response against Hamas' rocket attack on southern Israel.

The head of the Jewish Home party, Naftali Bennet, then demanded to be appointed as minister of defense, but was refused by Netanyahu.

Following Netanyahu's tweet, Kahlon said in a television interview that he supports the early elections because of the weakening of the coalition without Lieberman's faction.

Kahlon added that he is not worried that he will be accused of advancing the elections, and that "this spin does no longer affect me, the Likud should stop threatening."

Kahlon said he did no object to Bennett's appointment as defense minister.

Earlier on Saturday, Bennett said in a television interview that "there is no government, we are going to elections, it is best to shorten this bad period."