The contacts between all the party leaders have begun, will they be able to prevent a run for further elections? The chairman of the right, Naftali Bennett, has in the last two days held a preliminary round of talks with party leaders from both blocs – the bloc of Netanyahu supporters and the bloc seeking to replace him. A statement on behalf of Bennett stated that he had talked to The Likud, Yesh Atid, Shas, Religious Zionism, Blue and White, Torah Judaism, Labor, Yisrael Beiteinu and Meretz.
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Bennett congratulated the party leaders on the occasion of Passover, which will take place tomorrow, and stressed the need to act in a state and responsible manner in order to rescue Israel from chaos and return the country to normal functioning as soon as possible. The chairman of the right has in fact talked to all the heads of the parties except the heads of the joint list and the RAAM – and one can find in this, perhaps, some hint of his intentions.
Earlier today, Chairman Yesh Atid Yair Lapid and Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu Avigdor Lieberman met and discussed the various options for forming a government. In a joint statement from the two parties, they announced that they are expected to meet again and continue talks. Last night we reported that Lapid may get the majority of recommenders before the president, and if he wants to – he may get the mandate to form the government first.
At the same time, new Tikva chairman Gideon Saar posted a tweet calling on Netanyahu to vacate his seat so that a government could be formed with the Likud. Saar’s tweet was supported by Lapid, who retweeted under the headline: “Listen to Gideon.”
“For the fourth time in two years, Netanyahu failed to achieve a parliamentary majority of 61. Without Netanyahu, a stable government can be formed easily and quickly. If Israel is more important to Netanyahu than continuing to hold on to power, he must finally draw the required patriotic conclusion,” Saar wrote. “I call on Netanyahu to step aside, liberate Israel and allow it to move forward.”
His party member Sharan Hashakel tweeted earlier that she receives many inquiries from Likud emissaries who she says offer her “up to half the kingdom.” She stated that she would not join the Likud because she was “loyal to the values in whose name a new hope was established, and not to the portfolios. Let go.” Similar things were said by Yoaz Handel, who asked the Likud applicants to stop because nothing would help him defect to the Likud.
Even before the meeting with Lapid, Lieberman yesterday urged his partners in the “Bloc of Change” to support a bill that would prevent a criminal defendant from forming a government: “I am committed to doing everything to prevent further elections,” he tweeted. “I am indicted to be a candidate for government formation. I expect all parties who hope for change, which has been discussed in recent months, to take responsibility and join this bill.”
The picture of the seats after counting 100% of the votes:
Likud 30
There is a future 17
Shas 9
Blue and white 8
Right 7
The work 7
Torah Judaism 7
Yisrael Beiteinu 7
Religious Zionism 6
March 6
New Hope 6
The common 6
RAM 4