The Yamina party is beginning to disintegrate following the resignation of MK Idit Silman from the coalition on Wednesday.

Possible defectors include Nir Orbach, Abir Kara, and Ayelet Shaked, the three of whom held a meeting together overnight Wednesday in Kara’s home to discuss their next steps. However, Kara told Kan News on Thursday that although he’s being wooed by the Likud to defect the coalition, he’s not rushing to do since at this point there’s no clear path for the formation of a right-wing government.

Meanwhile, Orbach issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Thursday, saying that if his three demands aren’t met, he’s leaving the coalition. His three demands are the revocation of Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s plan to end daycare subsidies for kollel families, the reversal of the construction freeze in the settlements, and the connection of “young settlements” to the electrical grid.

Later on Thursday, a press release was issued saying that “Lieberman and Orbach agreed to make every effort to stabilize the coalition and in doing so agreed to revoke the plan for 2023 and defer it until 2024.”

However, Religious Zionism chairman Betzalel Smotrich scoffed at Orbach’s ultimatum, claiming that it’s a bluff and was coordinated with Bennett beforehand as being the issues that can be solved. There may be some truth to that since although Lieberman agreed to delay the daycare decree [which may harm religious families but does not harm halacha] it’s almost certain he would not agree to end the giyur reform plan, which is extremely problematic from a halachic viewpoint and should be of more concern to Orbach than the daycare decree.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)