T. Belman. My suggestion was that Israel Katz become PM and Netanyahu become FM. But this was a non-starter as one can’t serve as a Minister if they are indicted. This article refers to a variation of my suggestion that would work; namely to elect Netanyahu as President and then to include the duties of the President the role of a Foreign Minister.
PM said turning his attention to pressuring Gideon Sa’ar to join him; Katz’s political adviser said to propose mandate be passed to finance minister
By TOI STAFF Today, 11:10 am 1
Leader of the Religious Zionism party Bezalel Smotrich, on election night, March 23, 2021. (Sraya Diamant/Flash90)
Unnamed senior officials from the Likud party told Kan news on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given up on the possibility of persuading the far-right Religious Zionism party to join a coalition supported in any way by the Islamist Ra’am party.
According to the report, Netanyahu is now convinced that party chairman Bezalel Smotrich has no intention of changing his mind and agreeing to join a government that would have even the outside backing of Ra’am, and the prime minister will instead turn his attentions to persuading New Hope’s Gideon Sa’ar to join his government.
A central plank of Sa’ar’s electoral campaign was the formation of a right-wing government, but not under Netanyahu. Sa’ar has repeatedly vowed since the election that he will not join Netanyahu.
Religious Zionism has firmly ruled out any kind of partnership with Ra’am, which would likely doom Netanyahu’s prospects of forming a coalition. But a Sunday report said Smotrich had ordered a poll gauging whether its supporters would back a right-wing government that would rely on outside support from the party.
Ra’am party leader Mansour Abbas at the party’s headquarters in Tamra on election night, March 23, 2021. (Flash90)<
>
<
>
According to the poll’s findings, slightly more than 50 percent of Religious Zionism supporters say they would prefer such a coalition over a fifth consecutive election, the Walla news site reported.
The question was reportedly couched in an internal survey among a series of questions about the election and coalition negotiations. Religious Zionism denied the report, which did not cite sources.
Several Ra’am officials in recent weeks have also ruled out working with Religious Zionism, home to far-right extremists.
Kan also reported that Netanyahu is telling associates that Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett is deliberately hindering negotiations so that he can avoid a coalition with Likud.
Channel 12 news reported Friday that Bennett had so far agreed to rotate the premiership with Netanyahu in a government backed by Ra’am, but only if Smotrich is on board. The network said, however, that Likud sources were denying Yamina’s assertion that Netanyahu made Bennett such an offer.
It also claimed that, despite all the machinations, Netanyahu believes that Bennett is only going through the motions with him and has already decided to join forces with opposition chief Yair Lapid. (I don’t believe it.)
Meanwhile, Kan said Monday that a political adviser to Finance Minister Israel Katz had proposed in an internal WhatsApp group that Netanyahu pass the mandate to form a government to Katz, as this was “the most correct and most realistic [path] for a full right-wing government.”
Amnon Ben Ami additionally suggested that, in return, Knesset members elect Netanyahu as president in the coming weeks, with expanded powers giving him full authority over foreign affairs, the report said.
Katz said in response to the report that he had no knowledge of the proposal, but that if it was true, he would take steps against his adviser, perhaps even suspending him from the job.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, listens to then-foreign minister, now finance minister, Israel Katz, during the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem, October 27, 2019. (Gali Tibbon/Pool Photo via AP)<
>
<
>
The Walla news site reported Saturday that Netanyahu is afraid that senior Likud lawmakers could rebel and try to form a government headed by someone else if he does not succeed in the task himself.
The right-wing New Hope has not ruled out Likud as a party, only Netanyahu, giving rise to scenarios in which Netanyahu relinquishes power and becomes either president or alternate prime minister, enabling Sa’ar’s party to join and form a right-wing majority coalition headed by another Likud member.
President Reuven Rivlin tasked Netanyahu with forming a government last week, after the premier received more recommendations than any other lawmaker from parties that won representation in the Knesset in the March 23 vote.
Netanyahu, with 52 recommendations, still did not receive a majority of backers in the 120-seat Knesset, however, and neither he nor the bloc of parties opposing his continued rule have a clear path to a governing coalition, leading to fears of a fifth rapid-fire election.
To reach a majority, Netanyahu needs the active support or outside backing of the right-wing Yamina, the Islamist Ra’am, and Religious Zionism.
Multiple — and mostly improbable — scenarios have been floated on how to reach the magic number of 61, including relying on outside support from Ra’am, despite opposition from right-wing lawmakers; trying to recruit “defectors” from other parties; and trying to get Sa’ar’s New Hope party to join such a coalition.
If Netanyahu does not succeed in forming a government within 28 days, the president can either task a second person with the attempt (for another period of 28 days and a possible additional 14), or send the mandate back to the Knesset, giving the legislature 21 days to agree on a candidate supported by 61 MKs.
If the president appoints a second person and that person also fails to assemble a coalition, the mandate automatically returns to the Knesset for the 21-day period. During that time, any MK is eligible to attempt to form a government.
Rivlin has intimated that he may not give the mandate to a second candidate if Netanyahu fails, but rather immediately send it back to the Knesset.
At the end of the 21-day period, if no candidate has been agreed upon by 61 MKs, the new Knesset automatically disbands and the country heads to yet another election, which would be the fifth in under three years.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
I think narrett0 did an excellent job of describing my views of TOI’s indiscriminate use of facts in their writings :
I find it interesting that it is claimed that, in this last election, many supporters of The Ultra-Orthodox parties voted for Smotrich; rather than their supposed primaryily chosen party because Netanyahu called for them to do so. That would suggest to me that perhaps, if the Ultra-Orthodox parties were to support another choice of PM, their might be a cost come election day – Just a thought.
In truth the Ultra-Orthodox don’t have to support Netanyahu, they can of course support Lapid, or Blue and White or who else, Bennett – certainly not Lieberman. But in reality if they don’t vote for Netanyahu, who can they vote for? The other groups are largely either without a major base of support themselves(if the Prime Minister has fewer than 10 seats the word “Prime Minister” should be shortened to “pm” not “PM”) or they or they stand against the Ultra-Orthodox. I guess, they can also join the Arab parties and recommend no PM. In fact they they have a desirably sized number of Knessett members, but once Netanyahu is removed, any motivation to secure any promises made to them will be rendered moot. They would be fools to make such a move. But in Israeli politics, as I have observed, there is much folly to be divided among both the politicos and the public.
In any case, I think we are very likely looking at another election. I like the phrase Bear used:
This point is even more clearly made impossible when the circle is composed of self-delusional, hyper-partisan, nihilists whose President betrays his office and purposely moves to undermine the formation of a government.
Maybe far-seeing pundits should be speculating about the 6th election. This musical chairs dance really reminds me of a rubics cube or Freecell.
@ Adam Dalgliesh:
Blue and White ??? NEVER EVER going to sit in a Netnayhau government again. He had them in his government for half a year, he drove them out, he will never ever get them again.
Difficult to believe anything in a rag like the TOI that with a straight face describe the Religious Zionist Party as “extremist right-wing,” while using no such pejorative for the Muslim Brotherhood party Ra’am that supports terrorism against the State of Israel and helps those who have murdered Jewish women and children. The suicidal behavior of TOI is just one small example of the many problems that Israel faces with its multitude of subversive Jews.
Hard to square a circle.
If Bib does not step aside (however it could be done) for another Likud member to PM there likely will be a fifth election in under three years.
The mechanism that in theory would be done is Bibi gets elected President for the seven (7) year term and he receives immunity from Prosecution during those 7 years for any prior occurring events. The Likud would draft another PM candidate Nir Barkat or Katz. Nir Barkat (ex-mayor of Jerusalem) is far more qualified and has the personality to suit.
There are many steps for this occur. If it would occur then at a minimum the government would have 65 Seats as the New Hope (Saar) would join the right-wing coalition without Bibi. Who knows it could be even larger.
The obvious solution would be for Netanyahu to persuade Blue and White, Yamina, and the haredi parties to all serve in the new government. That would create a majority even without the Religious Zionism party, although it would be highly desireable to include them as well. However, Netanyahu would need some time work out all the details and negotiate who would serve in all the ministries. President Rivlin has indicated that he does not intend to give Netanyahu an extension when the 28 days are up–which will make this solution impossible. Rivlin seems determined to force Netanyahu’s resignation.
As I’ve pointed out before, the president of Israel has no immunity from prosecution. One past president, Moshe Katzav, was indicted while President, forced to resign, and ultimately convicted on trumped-up charges. He served a long jail sentence and was released only a few months ago. I’m surprised that so many Israeli politicians believe that there is presidential immunity, when the supreme court has repeatedly ruled that there is no such thing.