In the background of the contacts in the bloc of Netanyahu's opponents: Bennett and Saar intend to merge their parties • The goal: to allow Bennett to serve as prime minister with a party of 13 MKs and not just seven • Difficulties in negotiations between Bennett and Lapid, especially around the existing privacy mechanism Division of cases between the blocs
Against the background of the contacts within the bloc of Netanyahu's opponents of forming a government
: right-wing chairman Naftali Bennett and new Tikva chairman Gideon Saar intend to merge between their parties, Israel Today has learned.
It should be noted that this is not a procedure that has political significance, but more a declarative statement, according to which Bennett will receive the prime minister when he heads a party of 13 seats - and not the head of a party with only seven seats.
Bennett: I will work to form a unity government // Photo: Knesset Channel
At the same time, in negotiations within the bloc, the parties encounter quite a few difficulties. The most prominent obstacle the parties have encountered so far is the division of property. As mentioned, with the formation of the current government, the privacy mechanism is anchored in the Basic Law until the law is changed. Bennett and Lapid must find the exact formula for the division of power in the government between the 45 seats of Lapid, Ganz, Lieberman, Michaeli and Horowitz, compared to the 13 seats of Bennett and Saar.
The parties are looking for a mechanism that will allow for the division of cases in a way that will be agreed upon by both parties, proper government work and decision-making without each party getting stuck on the other side and leading to a dead end.
The parties fear a rebroadcast of the current government, as has happened on a variety of issues, for example in the issue of the appointment of the Minister of Justice that exploded this week at the cabinet meeting and in the High Court.
Due to the fear that the government will not be able to function and decide, Bennett is seeking the possibility of vetoing the prime minister, a step that will allow him to make decisions and decide.
This is a major difficulty at the heart of the negotiations, and the parties are finding it difficult to find a solution.
Bennett and Abbas met
One of the proposals that has come to the table is the establishment of a government that will appoint 23 ministers and a prime minister, who will be divided equally - eight portfolios for each "wing": right, center and left.
This proposal encounters legal difficulty in the face of the principle of privacy, which states that the government is divided into two blocs and not three.
The division of portfolios will also not be equal between the parties, and some will not agree to it.
Yesterday morning, Bennett met for the first time with the chairman of Ra'am, Mansour Abbas.
According to a right-wing statement, "The two discussed the positions of both parties in light of the current political situation. The meeting was good."
In response, the Religious Zionist Party attacked Bennett and said: "A few months ago Naftali Bennett and Yemina set out on a new path, with the aim of replacing the government and forming a left-wing government under their leadership.
"Today, while we are making every effort to form a right-wing government, Bennett has taken another, dangerous and irresponsible step towards a precedent-setting training of a left-wing government that relies on parties that support terrorism and child killers and make the State of Israel dependent on them. Gideon and Naftali "The State of Israel to its enemies for small interests and a big ego. You will be remembered forever. Come back and let us form a right-wing government."
Pressure from the Likud on Ganz
Against the background of contacts in the opposing bloc, Netanyahu has not yet said he is desperate for his efforts to form a government, and even yesterday his emissaries tried to get blue and white chairman Bnei Gantz to join the right-wing bloc and accept the prime minister. Asked if he would refuse to serve first in rotation with Netanyahu, he avoided providing a clear answer and replied: "Netanyahu contacted me today through emissaries with proposals from new directions, it is not possible, we need to form a new and honest government in Israel. State of Israel".
Ganz after the storm at a cabinet meeting: "Netanyahu violates agreement time and time again" // Photo: from Bnei Ganz's Facebook
Gantz was asked again if he pledged not to join Netanyahu and said: "This possibility was ruled out in the first place and I am moving forward. I think we need a new government, a change government. Unfortunately Netanyahu illustrated once again yesterday that it is impossible to work with him. I think in the end everyone would want to see Netanyahu is leaving the prime minister's office. "
The interviewer, Yonit Levy, was not satisfied with this answer, pressed Gantz and asked to hear from him an explicit commitment not to sit down with Netanyahu in any scenario - but a blue-and-white chairman evaded and did not provide such an undertaking.
Daniel Roth-Avnery participated in the preparation of the article
