[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
The election polls over recent months continue to show the Yesh Atid opposition party headed by Yair Lapid climbing, steadily. In fact, in the most recent polls, Lapid overtakes Likud by a seat or two to become the largest party in Knesset. That is not to say he will succeed in establishing a coalition government, as was the case with Tzipi Livni, who had a majority vote but after she could not build a coalition, the mandate was given to Binyamin Netanyahu and he formed a government.
Whatever the case, Lapid, as he admits in the video, is preparing for the leadership position and he tells us plain and simply that both he and his party are ready to assume the leadership of the nation.
While most parties are commenting, they oppose early elections amid a crisis between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Lapid is honest in his call for early elections, well aware of the polls and the predicted outcome of Knesset elections. Such a scenario, Lapid with the largest party in Knesset, is one far from the desires of the chareidi parties, with both Shas and Yahadut Hatorah working to end the crisis, announcing they are not for early elections.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
NO WAY will Lapid ever be PM.He can’t form a coalition without the religious parties and no way are they ever willing to deal with this lowlife after his last anti-religious power play.
He may be ready but we’re not
I don’t know much about Israeli politics, but I think I understand the building of coalition governments.
Netanyahu wants to be PM because he likes the job, especially accolades (no, that is not a euphmism for bribes), and he will include anyone in a coalition regardless of viewpoint. The religious parties, I think, are primarily interested in financial support for yeshivas and kollels, and other social welfare spending that a community of unemployed people need. The religious parties, I think, will support the “highest bidder” on financial issues, and a bit less on government enforcement of Halacha.
As the secular and non-frum portions of the Jewish population become more fed up with the settlers and their financial requirements, Lapid will become stronger, and the religious parties may become willing to tip the coalition formation process in favor of Lapid.
Naftali Bennet would be into coalition with this and the anti-Torah forces would be stronger.