Uproar in Likud: Rein in Ben-Gvir, we could go to the opposition

Likud MKs tell PM coalition is losing the argument on the judicial reforms, needs to moderate reforms and deal with right-wing minister.

Israel National News    Mar 13, 2023, 8:57 PM (GMT+2)

There are growing concerns in the Likud party that the efforts to pass Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s judicial reforms as well as the behavior of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir could cause the government to fall.

Channel 12 News published quotes from the Likud faction meeting Monday in which party MKs demanded that the judicial reforms be moderated or even halted in order to create the opportunity for dialogue with the opposition on the reforms.

MK Eli Dallal expressed his displeasure with Ben-Gvir’s conduct and asked that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intervene to rein the National Security Minister in. “We are in the midst of a sensitive period where [our opponents] are searching for any nonsense from us. Even right-wing people who are not familiar with the reforms are anxious about what they are hearing and Ben-Gvir’s statements about the attorney general and police officers are not reassuring them, to say the least. He needs to make the transition from the opposition to minister.”

Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar claimed that the government is losing the argument on the judicial reforms. “We are losing big in this conversation, they are beating us. They are organized, financed, in the streets. And what do we do? We enjoy the situation, go with the flow and hope for the best. Anyone who thinks that only one or two people will lose if we lose here – is wrong. We will all lose, and we will return to the opposition.”

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MK Danny Danon called on the Prime Minister to cancel the conflict of interest agreement Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara claims prohibits him from engaging in the efforts to pass the judicial reforms or to facilitate negotiations with the opposition on the issue. “You are the Prime Minister, not a bystander. The people gave Likud a clear mandate to lead the country. It can’t be that unelected officials will not allow you to deal with the main issue that the government deals with and save our country from disaster. I call on you to announce that the conflict of interest agreement you signed is null and void, and to immediately start working on finding a solution to the crisis.”

Prime Minister Netanyahu sought to reassure his faction members and stated: “This coalition is an iron wall. I do not want to present false hopes that this government is going to collapse, it is strong.”