With Wednesday’s deadline looming to form a government, New Right leader calls on allies to stand with PM to increase his negotiating power.
ISRAEL HAYOM
MK Naftali Bennett (center) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) in the Knesst plenum | Photo: Oren Ben Hakoon
New Right leader Naftali Bennett called on right-wing and haredi factions to stand by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that if he was forced out of office just because of looming indictments this would inflict major damage on Israel.
“My fellow friends on the Right,” Bennett wrote on Facebook. “One thing must be clear: If law-enforcement officials take down Netanyahu just because of cigars and positive press online, this will be a deadly blow to our entire ideological bloc. Any leader on the Right that would follow Netanyahu would be too scared of confronting the media and law enforcement.”
Bennett was referring to the possibility that Netanyahu would have to leave his post or hand over his official duties because of the corruption allegations he faced, which center on various gifts and benefits he allegedly received while prime minister.
Talks with Blue and White over a power-sharing deal that would allow a new government to be sworn in have stalled because the left-wing party has insisted that Netanyahu step down until he could be acquitted in court.
Bennett added that “Netanyahu may not be perfect, but he has been a very good prime minister for Israel and its security and has been persecuted and demonized from day one by the leftists in the media and academia.”
According to Bennett, “because Netanyahu is now at his most difficult moment, I have decided to help as much as I can.”
The Sept. 17 election ended with a hung parliament, with neither Likud or Blue and White getting enough seats to form a government with its ideological allies.
The only realistic option is to form a unity government under some kind of power-sharing arrangement, but so far negotiations have stalled because Blue and White has been unwilling to have Netanyahu serve as prime minister for the next two years, citing his potential indictment in the three corruption cases.
Netanyahu was tapped by President Reuven Rivlin to form a government and he has until Wednesday to do so. But Netanyahu is unlikely to be able to swear in a government and win a confidence vote on time, meaning that Rivlin will likely tap Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz to do so.
If Gantz fails, and no MK garners the signatures of 61 lawmakers within 21 days, Israel would have to hold another election.
@ AryehbnBaruch:
I was already asking the same question months ago. It seems a very murky situation with factual voter fraud etc. So it is, in all, a concerted, determined attempt by the Left to dethrone Netanyahu.
Even if the people can’t “see clearer paths”…no matter, …except it brought out the half-wits in force. The people never have seen clear paths, only what they “thought ” were so. Because Netanhayu always held his cards very closely to his chest, and then …miracle results would happen. Look how he has transformed Israel under his Premiership.. Wonders never imagined before, except by Messianist Rabonim.
He is a Statesman of top World Class. and has brought Israel along with him.
Whenever the “bribery” of champagne and cigars is mentioned. They always neglect to add that the “bribers” are close friends of more than 25 years standing, and ALSO billionaires, to whom $122,000 spent on these “bribes” , are less than a speck of dust to them. So $5,000 a year for top quality items which are everyday articles for billionaires is really NOTHING.
Not to mention that most of it is/was consumed by visiting dignitaries….The 3rd degree cops handling the other “cases”..have gone “all out” in threatening associates of the PM to become “informers”…under the tenure of “The Prosecutors General”, with the most political AG Israel may ever have had.. The way they publicised the intending indictments in the months leading up to elections, to cause the greatest electoral damage, speaks volumes. It shouts..
“GET RID OF NETANYAHU AT ANY PRICE”. (his sons have made a few political comments…very dangerous for “democracy” to have a ruling political family..)
And the Crime of the Century… Pocketing the coins of the returned “empties” supposedly done (by accusation) by Mrs. Netanyahu… although she said that whatever it was went to charity..(a reputed $4000 over 15 years)
I suggest that instead of using “crowd control” methods on the Gazan Friday rioters, they dump a load of this Netanyahu effluent on them instead…….Guaranteed to stink the whole area out for a year.
Mr. Captcha should really go back to kindergarten. It no longer accepts that “6 multipled by (9)”= 54. So it insults me with “? + 6=9. I hope I get it right.
Why did a party (blue and white) that had no clear message gain so many mandates? Based on opinion polls it would be logical for a combination of slightly right-wing, settler, and orthodox parties to draw over 70% of the Jewish vote and some of the non-Jewish vote. So where are these voters? Are they anti-Bibi? Are they frustrated with their so-called leaders? Do they want to see clearer paths? Whatever is decided in the next few days party leaders need to start preparing for the next election which will likely happen sooner than some would hope….