Bennett’s strategy: Let Smotrich become a man because Netanyahu loses power

Bennett’s strategy: Let Smotrich become a man because Netanyahu loses power

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will host the leader of the Religious Zionist Party, Bezalel Smotrich, on Thursday night, followed by Naftali Bennett, a political king, in his Jerusalem office, at meetings that could determine whether he has the chance to form a government.

Sources close to Bennett said he would tell the prime minister that he has his full support to form a government and that he is prepared to compromise to make it happen. He will inform him that his plans to form a government in which he will turn over as prime minister with the head of Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid, are currently off the table.

‘There are no contacts and no conversations [with Lapid], ”Said a source close to Bennett. “We are working to build a government under Netanyahu and with his bloc. But that can only advance the moment that Smotrich will find a solution to his problem with Mansour Abbas. ‘

The sources acknowledged that Bennett did not believe Netanyahu would be able to form a government. They revealed that his aim in collaborating with Netanyahu was to ensure that Smotrich would fall for the prime minister’s failure to build a coalition, thereby undermining Bennett’s attempt to form a government with Lapid. legitimize.

Smotrich refused to enter a government that relied on the four MKs of Abbas’ Ra’am (United Arab List) party, even from outside the coalition.

Lapid on Wednesday promised to form a government with a cross-section of Israeli society after Netanyahu’s mandate ended on May 4. In a Facebook message, he complained that the media speculated whether the next government would be right or left.

The government we are trying to form has three right-wing parties (Yamina, New Hope and Yisrael Beytenu), two centrist parties (Yesh Atid and Blue and White) and two left-wing Zionist parties (Labor and Meretz). , ”Lapid wrote on Facebook. “This means that no one will get everything they want, but there will be balance that we will have to focus on practical goals: the budget, health, education and the urgent need to put down the flames in Israeli society.”

Lapid also undertook to change Israel’s system of government, which he said was flawed.

Netanyahu met on Tuesday with Shas leader Arye Deri and on Wednesday with the heads of Torah Judaism, Ya’acov Litzman and Moshe Gafni. Coalition negotiating teams will be formed next week.

Gafni’s spokesman denied reports that UTJ leader Netanyahu had warned that his party would not allow the prime minister to run for re-election, pointing out that he could join a government led by Bennett.

Litzman told reporters when he arrived at the prime minister’s office that there was a possible possibility of another election.

Wednesday’s first meeting of the Knesset after Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony contains the first of the expectations that there will be many fights in the Knesset between MK Gilad Kariv, who is a reform rabbi, and the far-right Orthodox MK Avi Maoz. Maoz told Kariv that all Jews are brothers, but there is no such thing as streams in Judaism.

After Tuesday’s controversy over the joint list of members, Ayman Odeh, Sami Abou Shahadeh, Aida Touma-Sliman and Ofer Cassif, who vowed to continue the fight “against racism and occupation” instead of loyalty to the state as To give MKs, they asked to be properly sworn in on Wednesday.

Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin turned down their request. They will be sworn in next Monday and will not be eligible as MKs until then.

Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.

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