The daily Yisrael Hayom newspaper quotes “a senior Likud official involved in coalition talks” as pointing a finger of blame at HaBayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett of sabotaging coalition efforts. The report cites that as the coalition talks enter a third week, Bennett remains committed to his agreement with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, and this agreement has prevented the establishment of a broad-based right-wing coalition. The anonymous source accuses Bennett of “betraying voters” with his agreement with Lapid.
Readers are reminded that during the election period, Bennett stated repeatedly that he supports Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for prime minister, even displaying photos of the two of them together. However, shortly following the elections, Bennett and Lapid teamed up and they are blocking the establishment of a stable coalition by the nationalist camp.
Channel 2 New’s Rena Matzliach adds that it appears Bennett is unwilling to just be a player in the new government, event a senior one, for he has set his ambitions on returning the dati leumi camp to the dati leumi party’s former days of glory; seeking to position himself to build a coalition without the chareidim, to take over the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and other institutions towards diminishing chareidi influence in the state.
Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon commented on the negotiations during an appearance on Channel 2’s Meet the press, adding “the agreement between them is strange,” pointing out that in his view the decision by Bennett to align with Lapid does not reflect the same reality he aired to voters during the election campaign. Ya’alon added that Bennett is davka the only party that committed to entering the coalition, stating repeatedly the party supports Netanyahu for prime minster, and now, following the elections, Bennett has turned his back on his voters.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
What a spin. Bennett is sticking e x a c t i n g l y to his campaign promises and principles. He is not suggesting any other prime minister, only different coalition principles and partners. Bibi is frustrated because Bennett and Lapid are refusing to sell out for the usual political bribes of power and position and he knows that if they hold the line – they’ll win. Having failed to bring pressure to bear on Bennett through the D”L rabbis, Bibi is now making a desperate attempt to convince Bennett’s constituents to pressure him. This to will fail, and fail miserably. Not only are Bennett’s constituents in complete agreement with him, more and more people who voted Likud are beginning to express the wish that they had voted for Bennett or Lapid instead – and Bibi knows it.
Bennett is making a serious & costly mistake over here. Gambling all his marbles with the hated Yair Lapid?
I love the line that begins “readers are reminded…”, as if Bennett was somehow lying about his preference for Netanyahu to become prime minister. Sorry, I’m not mekabel, Mr. YWN-Israel Desk.
The reality is that you are upset that HaBayit HaYehudi won’t subjugate itself to the chareidi parties, the same chareidi parties that despise the Torah Zionists and want to maintain the status quo of continued government money and benefits in return for not serving in Tzahal and not working.
The supporters of HaBayit HaYehudi are not fools. They understand that their hashkafa and that of the chareidi parties are a tartei d’satrei, just as they understand that Bennett should not mindlessly join Netanyahu without preconditions. And with all due respect to Vice PM Ya’alon, HaBayot HaYehudi wasn’t created to be Likud’s little step-sister; those who cast their ballots for Bennett were knowingly not casting their ballots for Netanyahu.
Bennett is not “betraying voters”, he is refusing to be manipulated. Bibi abused Bennett, HaBayit HaYehudi and the Dati community throughout the elections & continues to do so. As a HaBayit HaYehudi voter I am even more impressed with Bennett than I was during the elections. Of course he wants the Rabbanut to be controlled by Dati Leumi rabbis, that is the community he represents!
There seems to be a lot of confusion between Yair Lapid and his father. Yair, while certainly secular, does not hate religious people. He does not have a goal of destroying the Torah world (Chas v’Shalom). He goal is to improve Israeli society.