Netanyahu: Naftali Bennett as Israel’s prime minister’s absurd ‘

Netanyahu and Bennett held a tense meeting on Monday, their fifth since Netanyahu was given a mandate two weeks ago to form a government of President Reuven Rivlin.

“His feeling is that he has signed an agreement there,” a UTJ member told The Jerusalem Post after the meeting with Netanyahu.

“The moment of truth for Bennett has arrived,” Netanyahu said. ‘He promised not to sit down [Yesh Atid leader Yair] Lapid, with Meretz and Labor and with the support of the Joint List. He must therefore stop galloping towards a left-wing government. ‘

In the closed door of the faction meeting, Netanyahu said what his opponents call a unity government will only lead to more government paralysis, break Bennett’s promises and be ‘very bad for Israel’.

The prime minister challenged Bennett to support direct elections for prime minister and the Likud’s proposal to run the Knesset until a government is formed, saying that

direct elections for prime minister are the solution to the political crisis.

Kingmaker Mansour Abbas said on Monday that he did not rule out enabling a Bennett-led government, just as he would allow a Netanyahu-led government.

Abbas spoke with the emblem of Israel and said that it was wrong to name his Ra’am (United Arab List) supporters of terror, such as Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionist Party. Abbas said his party had not decided on the direct election for the prime minister’s bill.

Smotrich appealed to Bennett to decide whether he would be on the Right or the Left. He said he did not believe Bennett was really supporting a government that would rely on Abbas’ Ra’am Party, which he said identified with Israel’s enemies.

“Once it’s clear where everyone stands, I’m sure a right – wing government can be formed from the whole nationalist bloc,” Smotrich said.

Gideon Sa’ar, leader of the new hope, told his faction on Monday that he would not allow Netanyahu to form a government or start a new Knesset race or a direct election for prime minister.

Sa’ar spoke for the first time since Netanyahu called on him to ‘come home to Likud’ on Friday in a speech in Ramat Gan.

“Our view has not changed,” Sa’ar said. “There are two alternatives: a right-wing government led by someone else or a unity government that will enable New Hope to maintain its worldview. Both options are better than new elections, whether for Knesset or just for prime minister.”

Sa’ar quoted Netanyahu as saying that when he was opposition leader, “an electoral system is not a pair of socks that can be changed every day”.

Lapid blew up the direct election bill, which was tabled on Monday by Shas MKs Michael Malkieli and Moshe Arbel, calling it a ‘fifth election that will further paralyze the country and continue the focus on Netanyahu’. He said the only reason Netanyahu proposed the idea was that he could not form a government and that a unity government without Netanyahu would be formed within three weeks.

In an effort to build a coalition, Lapid met Monday with the heads of Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, the Joint List and Ra’am.

Defense Secretary Benny Gantz told his Blue and White faction that continued political uncertainty would be dangerous for Israel.

“If we do not unite among ourselves, we will not be strong against our enemies,” Gantz said. He ruled out direct elections for prime minister, calling them ‘changing the rules of the game’ and warning Bennett and Abbas not to intervene. [Netanyahu’s] trap. ‘

“Naftali, you come from the business world,” Gantz said. “Netanyahu is asking you to file for ethical, moral and political bankruptcy.”

Labor leader Merav Michaeli said the direct election bill was merely a political twist intended to divert attention from government inactivity and that it was not a serious proposal.

Idan Zonshine contributed to this report.