Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) has instructed his Ministry's employees to "continue working at the regular pace on the next budget, because there will not be elections in the near future," sources said, according to Maariv . According to the sources, Liberman also said that it is "almost certain that towards the end of June-beginning of July, when [opposition leader MK Benjamin] Netanyahu understands that he does not have 61 votes to dissolve the Knesset, he will agree to a plea bargain, and as always abandon all his friends without blinking." Related articles: Liberman calls for arrest of leading haredi rabbis 'Netanyahu’s policies led to October 7 tragedy' Liberman on running with Bennett: There will be no ego Lapid refuses to apologize for offensive statement about minister Last week, MK Idit Silman (Yamina), who served as coalition whip, bolted the coalition and resigned her position, thereby depriving the government of its majority in the Knesset. Since then, there has been talk of new elections, though the existing Knesset members could form a new coalition without new elections. Meanwhile, it was reported Saturday that the Likud party does not believe additional MKs will desert the coalition prior to the summer.